Culture | Metre made

The heights and depths of humanity’s yearning to quantify

James Vincent outlines the forces and foibles behind the history of measurement

2A52E9X Counting the days in prison Bijlmer bajes Amsterdam

Beyond Measure. By James Vincent. W. W. Norton; 432 pages; $32.50. Faber & Faber; £18.99

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Metre made”

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