25 years ago: the official farewell to the meter

TL;DR

This paper reflects on the 1983 redefinition of the meter, marking the end of the concept of distance as a direct physical observable and its replacement with a fundamental constant.

Contribution

It documents the historical transition from physical measurement to a constant-based definition of the meter, highlighting its significance in metrology.

Findings

The meter was officially redefined in 1983.

Distance as a physical observable was replaced by a constant.

The change marked a paradigm shift in measurement standards.

Abstract

On october 21st 1983 took place in S\`evres on the western outskirts of Paris the official funeral of the meter. With it the notion of distance as a physical observable was buried.