Smithsonian on precise measurement standards

Precise measurement standards have revolutionized museum science, helping nail down where artifacts are from, The Conversation, 17 June 2025

Authors:

  • Research Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
  • Research Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
  • Physical Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution

On a cool February morning in 1904, a spark ignited a fire in the heart of downtown Baltimore. Within hours, a raging inferno swept eastward across the harbor district, consuming everything in its path. By evening, the local firefighters were overwhelmed, and the city sent telegrams to the fire chiefs of major Northeastern cities pleading for help in battling the blaze.

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