>> Historically, the meter was chosen so that it was well-related
>> to the second: an one-meter (ideal) pendulum, in a 1g condition,
>> and little displacement angle, has a period of oscilation of 1
>> second, no matter what weight you hang on it.

AFAIR the meter was originally intended to be 1/10,000,000 th of the 
distance from pole to equator on the meridian passing through Pairs 
BUT the surveyors got it wrong. This was at Napoleon's time when the 
power and pride of France were in ascendancy and a French based 
"modern metric" unit was intended to add to France's prestige. BIMBW.

As noted by Peter 2 x Pi x sqrt( 1/g) ~~~= 2 where g ~~ 9.8 m/s/s.
(Or exactly 2 when Pi^2 = g :-) ).

>> Now the meter is
>> defined based in the distance the light covers in a determined
>> fraction of a second.

Last I recall it was actually N times the wavelength of a certain 
emisison line of a certain gas (but they keep 'improving' these things 
so ... ) :-)
1 metre = 2 cubits seems a much more sensible definition to me.


        RM

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