Measuring the Universe

The eighteenth century was a time of enthusiasm for measurement of all types, from the old established fields of astronomy and surveying to the new sciences of electrostatics and thermometry (the technology of temperature measurement). Much of the measurement was driven by economic motives such as mapping colonies or measuring quantities of alcohol but curiosity and a desire to improve the lot of mankind also played a part.

Scientific instrument makers were able to construct elegant and accurate instruments although problems to do with basic units, scales or what was being measured often hampered research. The lack of mass-produced goods meant that measurement remained the activity of an educated elite, albeit a growing one.