 the metric system |
| Rapidly growing international commerce and the changing political structure of Europe in the 18th century, were the forces behind a drive toward change. Moreover, the growth of scientific investigation created new demands for accuracy and uniformity in measurements. The customary systems, handed down mainly from the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, were based on unrelated objects and phenomena, including human anatomy, with no practical hope for uniformity. |
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