isn't kilometer a bit, well, easy? Upping the stakes a bit, you could ask
the question:
"What is blue?"
At 17/07/2003 12:14:00, Michael Day <> wrote:
# > "The length of the Yangtze River is equal to the length of 6,300,000
# > platinum metre rods placed end to end."
#
# Oops, didn't answer the question:
#
# > > What is a "kilometer"?
#
# An abstract object with a length equal to that of 1,000 metres :)
Isn't a kilometer just a label which applies to an abstract object equal to
that of a 1000 m. You could "easily" rename it "brillometer" or "mile".
IIRC, one of the Frenchmen who tried to find a *true* definition of a meter
went mad doing so. The other one seemed to realise that defining measures
is a compromise of politics, science and whatnot.
So, a kilometer could be 1000 arbitrarily defined units.
Roger.
