The Sumerians were not the only ones to create remarkably accurate standards of measurement in the Ancient world. Some would travel to the ends of the Earth, some would be with us still today. Roland A. Boucher, a licensed professional engineer, examines incredible achievements of the past in this book that highlights standards of measure from the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Minoans, and others. The Sumerians left two wonderful monuments which demonstrate their system of measurement. The Great Pyramid at Giza, which was built to Sumerian standards with an error of only 185 parts per million; and The Parthenon, in Athens, built 2000 years later to the same Sumerian standard. Filled with tables, formulas, and images to promote the understanding of the mathematical concepts involved, this book celebrates the achievements of the Sumerians and other ancient civilizations. Embark on a journey of discovery as the author recreates eight additional standards from the distant past.

The Sumerians were not the only ones to reate remarkably accurate standards of measurement in the Ancient world. Some would travel to the ends of the Earth, some would be with us still today. Roland A. Boucher, a licensed professional engineer, examines incredible achievements of the past in this book that highlights standards of measure from the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Minoans, and others. The Sumerians left two wonderful monuments which demonstrate their system of measurement. The Great Pyramid at Giza, which was built to Sumerian standards with an error of only 185 parts per million; and The Parthenon, in Athens, built 2000 years later to the same Sumerian standard. Filled with tables, formulas, and images to promote the understanding of the mathematical concepts involved, this book celebrates the achievements of the Sumerians and other ancient civilizations. Embark on a journey of discovery as the author recreates eight additional standards from the distant past.

How do you measure the size of the planet you're standing on? "Circumference" is the story of what happened when one man asked himself that very question. Nicholas Nicastro brings to life one of history's greatest experiments when an ancient Greek named Eratosthenes first accurately determined the distance around the spherical earth. In this fascinating narrative history, Nicastro takes a look at a deceptively simple but stunning achievement made by one man, millennia ago, with only the simplest of materials at his disposal. How was he able to measure the land at a time when distance was more a matter of a shrug and a guess at the time spent on a donkey's back? How could he be so confident in the assumptions that underlay his calculations: that the earth was round and the sun so far away that its rays struck the ground in parallel lines? Was it luck or pure scientific genius? Nicastro brings readers on a trip into a long-vanished world that prefigured modernity in many ways, where neither Eratosthenes' reputation, nor the validity of his method, nor his leadership of the Great Library of Alexandria were enough to convince all his contemporaries about the dimensions of the earth. Eratosthenes' results were debated for centuries until he was ultimately vindicated almost 2000 years later, during the great voyages of exploration. "Circumference" is a compelling scientific detective story that transports readers back to a time when humans had no idea how big their world was--and the fate of a man who dared to measure the incomprehensible.

Explores the archaeological evidence for the development of measuring activities in numerous ancient societies and the implications of these discoveries.

"A biography of ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes, who used geometry to calculate the circumference of the earth. He is also known as the Father of Geography"--Provided by publisher.

Zupco presents the legacies of the Middle Ages to the pioneering reformers of the Scientific Revolution; the monumental impact of math, physics, chemistry, astronomy, & technology on modern metrology; the creations, struggles, & successes of the Metric System; & the intense battles between metrics & customary metrologies that have waged since the end of the 18th cent. Includes insights into the personalities involved in metrological events: scientists, technologists, bureaucrats, ministers, members of scientific soc., & shows the impact of scientific experimentation & social revolutions. Includes a comprehensive biblio. of European metrology & the sources relevant to the underpinnings for this period in weights & measures history. Illus.