Film Lens
The Last Artifact focuses on a small metallic cylinder located in a high-tech vault just outside Paris, France. This cylinder, about the diameter of a golf ball and encased in three vacuum-sealed bell jars, is the kilogram, the base unit of mass in the International System of Units. The film outlines its significance in various aspects of life, including its role in space exploration and everyday measurements.
The documentary details the crisis surrounding the kilogram's mass, which has mysteriously eroded over time, including a change caused by the weight of an eyelash. This alteration has implications that could affect numerous fields, from food production to medicine, making the story of the kilogram a critical one for understanding modern science and technology.
Why Watch
- •Find out why the kilogram is crucial for space missions.
- •See how a tiny change can impact global measurements.
- •Meet Miriam Margolyes as she narrates this vital story.
Did You Know
•The kilogram is stored in a vault requiring three independently controlled keys.
•The kilogram helped send humans to the moon and satellites into space.
•The mass of the kilogram has eroded over time, affected by an eyelash's weight.
Perfect For
Physics enthusiastsScience history buffsSpace exploration fans