Kilogram Konundrum

And some people think that moral standards are slipping. One more sign that things ain't what they seem to be.

BRAUNSCHWEIG, Germany: In these girth-conscious times, even weight itself has weight issues. The kilogram is getting lighter, scientists say, sowing potential confusion over a range of scientific endeavour.

The kilogram is defined by a platinum-iridium cylinder, cast in England in 1889. No one knows why it is shedding weight, at least in comparison with other reference weights, but the change has spurred search for a more stable definition.

?It?s certainly not helpful to have a standard that keeps changing,? says Peter Becker, a scientist at the Federal Standards Laboratory here, an institution of 1,500 scientists dedicated entirely to improving the ability to measure things precisely.

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