Bringing the Constant to Change

November 17, 2018 210 Views No Comment

By Sentiyula Along

For the past few days my newsfeed had been filled with articles about how the kilogram is forever changed. A National Geographic article by Maya Wei-Haas helped my unscientific mind understand a bit about what it means. For years, a gleaming metal cylinder, an alloy of platinum and iridium, kept in a temperature-controlled vault in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres, France has defined mass around the globe.

In this photo taken Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018., the head of BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) Martin J.T. Milton holds a replica of the International Prototype Kilogram in Sevres, near Paris. The golf ball-sized metal cylinder at the heart of the world’s system for measuring mass is heading into retirement. Gathering this week in Versailles, west of Paris, governments on Friday Nov. 16, 2018, are expected to approve a plan to instead use a scientific formula to define the exact weight of a kilo. (Christophe Ena/Associated Press)

But on the 16^th of Nov., representatives of more than 60 countries around the world gathered to depose Le Grande K, or Big K, from its throne. Rather than basing the unit on this physical object, henceforth, the measure will be based on a fundamental factor in physics known as Planck’s constant. This infinitesimally small number, which starts with 33 zeros after its decimal point, describes the behavior of elementary packets of light known as photons, in everything from the flicker of a candle flame to the twinkle of stars overhead.

“That fundamental constant is woven into the fabric of the universe,” says Stephan Schlamminger, leader of the National Institute of Standards and Technology team who, along with an international cohort of scientists, worked to refine Planck’s constant for the kilogram redefinition. Most importantly, this value will remain the same for all time, no matter the location.

Wow! My mind is bombarded by a plethora of thoughts. Let me try to organize them here.

Firstly, a tangible thing is now being replaced by something intangible. So what we can touch as a physical object in the natural is not as reliable as we first thought it to be. In fact, it is being replaced by a “factor”, something as intangible as light! This brings to mind that thing we like to call faith. The bible says in Hebrews 11: 1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”. We, as children of the light, are called to hope for and believe in the things that are not there to be touched or even seen! Our faith should be above and beyond science.

Secondly, how stable is our foundation? And who is the rock of our salvation? The cylinder was made of an alloy of iridium and platinum, a combination of two of the most expensive, precious metals whose combination is used in metrology because of its stability. Scientists forged a series of copies for researchers around the world to use.

Only three times in its nearly 130 years did researchers release Big K from its vault to compare the precious cylinder with its doppelgängers. However, it was found that this cylinder was either losing weight or its copies were gaining weight. Though the difference was around only around 30 micrograms, it made a big difference in exacting fields like medicine, and also because it affected other units like the Newton, which are defined in relation to mass. So it had to be removed.

The lesson I garnered from this is that precious things, be it material (money, cars, property, etc) or immaterial (good looks, health, intelligence, power, etc) should not be the foundation of our lives. They should not be our first priority or our major investment. And Jesus Christ said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”- John 14: 6. Every other aspect of our lives should be measured in relation to the exact, firm foundation that Christ provides.

Thirdly, we shouldn’t expect change to come but we should change to fit into the truth that already exists. We search for answers in a world that is grappling with issues. We expect change to come from all quarters without making the effort to change ourselves. We sugarcoat lies till they sparkle like diamonds. God has been there from the beginning and will be there after everything ceases to exist. His words will always remain true. “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away”- Matthew 24:35(NIV).

In the future, Planck’s constant may become redundant and we may face some new existing discoveries. But we may, in faith, rest at peace knowing that we can hold on to the stability and constancy of God when He says, “I the Lord do not change”- Malachi 3:6.

Sentiyula Along is an Assistant Professor teaching English at Dimapur Government College