In an enlightening conversation, Bloomberg columnist and economic expert Noah Smith and co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, discussed the innovation of measurement systems. In the face of the minor inconvenience of expressing personal height, Vitalik proposed the use of a new unit of measurement called the “space foot” as a challenge to the self-proclaimed superiority of the British system, using the distance of the speed of light per nanosecond as a reference.
In a lighthearted conversation this morning, economic expert Noah Smith and co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, discussed a unique and humorous topic: how to express height in an innovative way. This conversation not only showcased the humor of these two intellectuals but also revealed Vitalik’s observations and criticisms of the existing measurement systems (imperial and metric).
Vitalik proposed the “space foot” based on the distance of the speed of light per nanosecond.
Noah Smith first raised a small confusion in everyday life: his height is 5 feet 11 inches (approximately 180.3 centimeters), but he was considering whether to tell people that he is 6 feet 1 inch (approximately 185.4 centimeters) because many people are accustomed to exaggerating their height, allowing him to meet others’ expectations of his true height. This was Noah Smith’s humorous commentary on social norms.
Vitalik responded with his trademark innovative thinking and proposed an innovative solution:
Vitalik emphasized that using the space foot is a more accurate and rational way to challenge the self-proclaimed superiority of the British imperial system compared to the metric system.
The metric system is often considered a more “correct and rational” measurement system compared to the British imperial system due to its simplicity (based on decimal, the conversion between units is very intuitive and simple), international adoption, and widespread use in science and technology fields.
Vitalik’s proposal to convert the measurement system to the “space foot” based on the speed of light is ironic regarding the inconvenience and lack of intuitiveness in converting British imperial units. We can see that Vitalik’s suggestion seems to imply that if the British imperial system combines such a “correct and rational” measurement basis as the speed of light, which is not intuitive for people to remember and convert, it would be meaningless.
Furthermore, Vitalik’s expression also reflects his critical attitude towards existing systems, whether it is measurement systems or broader social norms. He used the term “pretentious stuck-up” to describe the metric system, which is not only a sarcastic remark about the superiority of non-decimal units such as feet, ounces, ounces, liters, but also a criticism of any system’s complacency and exclusivity. This attitude resonates with his innovative spirit in the blockchain and cryptocurrency field, highlighting his continuous pursuit of challenging the status quo and seeking more reasonable solutions.