On 3/4/18 4:16 PM, Gareth Magennis wrote:
Is it not now considered that time is no longer arbitrary?
i.e. Atomic clocks base a second around the determinable
decay of some kind of (cesium) radioactive particle?

It's still an arbitrary measurement.
Just now, it is one they can assign it's arbitrary value more
accurately and consistently.

Just like the gram.

Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure
water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and
at the temperature of melting ice"[2] (later at 4 °C, the
temperature of maximum density of water). However, in a reversal
of reference and defined units, a gram is now defined as one
one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or 1×10ˆ’3 kg,
which itself is now defined, not in terms of grams, but as being
equal to the mass of a physical prototype of a specific alloy kept
locked up and preserved by the International Bureau of Weights and
Measures.

Or Fahrenheit vs Celsius.
Fahrenheit was originally derived a 0 F = the coldest it's ever
been and 100 F = the hottest it's ever been. Both quite arbitrary.
Then along came Celsius. Water freezes at 0 C and boils at 100 C,
compared to 32 F and 212 F respectively. A little bit more accurate
that "Oh **** it's hot outside."



--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com