The Smoot, recalibrated

[FSogol]

On October 4, 1958, a group of MIT students created a new unit of linear measurement: The Smoot. Named after Oliver Smoot, the measurement unit gained notoriety when the students measured the length of the Harvard Bridge based on Smoot's height. But, the length of the Smoot has since changed, requiring a recalibration in 2016.

The Harvard Bridge crosses the Charles River, which separates Boston from Cambridge along Massachusetts Avenue—"Mass Ave" to the locals. MIT sits just on the Cambridge side. (We hear there's a liberal arts university also along Mass. Ave. in Cambridge, but MIT people reportedly don’t acknowledge its existence.) As a fraternity hack, the Lambda Chi Alpha pledge class of 1958 were told to measure the length of the bridge using Smoot's body. They did. At the time, the bridge measured 364.4 Smoots ±one ear.

Rest of the Martin Rowe article at Engineer Design News
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/rowe-s-and-columns/4461170/The-Smoot--recalibrated?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNFunFriday-20181005

[greymattermom]

1. I used to walk across that bridge

in the late 60s and early 70s. I remember the Smoot well.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Beer was reportedly involved. Apparently drunkeness doesn't always lead to sexual assault ...

... it mostly reveals the drinker's innate character. In this case, nerdish quantification resulted. In others ...

in vino veritas.

vom Bier, Wahrheit.