John Austin

Measuring the World John Austin

The book explains how the metric system is a superbly designed set of units which enables us to measure everything imaginable. Mass, length, time, and temperature are just the start. It explores ways that the metric system is an aid to the easy calculation of a host of practical problems and explains how painstaking work by talented scientists over decades has produced a practical and cultural legacy that rivals fine art for its beauty. The alternative, the Imperial set of units or US customary units are frequently shown to be confusing and inadequate. Yet their use persists in certain places. The book is published ahead of Britain's 50 year old commitment to the metric system but that commitment is half-hearted at best. The USA and Canada (less so) continue to use inadequate units, in many cases to their detriment. The book is an encouragement to those still using Imperial units to convert to metric. It is also of interest to those who already exclusively use metric units to see where developments in making measurements can impinge on our daily lives and where the future of these units lie.
The book consists of 18 Chapters in plain language and with some mathematics which is easily skipped if desired. Dozens of figures illustrating specific points of interest are included together with numerous references to the supporting material. An extract which includes the Contents and Chapter 1 (Introduction) can be downloaded from the author's website http://www.enigmascientific.com.

The Author, Dr. John Austin, has over 30 years' research experience on the upper atmosphere and has published over 80 papers in numerous international scientific journals. In addition John worked for 4 years as an Editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research, the premier Geophysics journal in the USA.
He has spent several years working in the USA, at NASA Langley, Hampton, virginia (1984-1985) and the University of Washington (1988-1990), where amongst other things he met his future wife Alda, to whom he is still married. During 2003-2011 John worked in Princeton, NJ, USA. His main scientific contribution has been to show the connection between ozone depletion and climate change. John has been involved in the writing of numerous international reports for the World Meteorological Organisation and The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for which the IPCC received the 2007 Nobel peace prize.

In recent years, John has broadened his work into popular science, through the website http://www. DecodedScience.com and in 2014 he created an internet scientific publishing business Enigma Scientific Publishing, http://www.enigmascientific.com. He has always had an interest in our unit system and the science of measurement, and the book "Measuring the World" is his first popular science book.

When not working, John enjoys a variety of activities including chess, running, photography and travel. He has become addicted to sudoku, and that may well be his next book!