Metrology

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A Kibble balance coil former part-way down into the annular gap of its permanent magnet circuit, interferometer arms aimed at the mirrors on its rim and a platinum-iridium kilogram waiting on the pan below

The Last Artefact: Redefining the Kilogram

The 2019 redefinition replaced a cylinder in a vault with a fixed number. What that exchange actually bought, and what it did not, is a lesson in what a unit definition is for.

By Brecht Corbeel · August 9, 2026 · 18 min read

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