One challenge was the lack of accurate instruments from "summary" of The Measure of All Things by Ken Alder
The lack of accurate instruments posed a significant challenge for the scientists tasked with measuring the world. In the early 18th century, precision instruments were not readily available, and those that did exist were often unreliable and inconsistent. This presented a major obstacle to the French Academy of Sciences, which had set out to create a new standard of measurement based on the natural world. Without accurate instruments, the scientists were forced to rely on less precise methods to take their measurements. For example, they used wooden rods, chains, and ropes to measure distances, which were prone to stretching, shrinking, or breaking, leading to inaccuracies in their calculations. This made it difficult to obtain reliable and consistent data, making the task of measuring the world even more challenging. In addition to the limitations of their tools, the scientists also had to contend with external factors that could affect their measurements. Variations in temperature, hu...
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