This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

Do you know how many jiggers make up one jill? Or how many ros it takes to fill a jack? You can find out this Saturday at Explorit Science Center.

Saturday is the last day to visit Explorit’s exhibition, “Measure for Measure: Sizing Up Your World.” The exhibition takes a hands-on and minds-on approach to investigating and learning about different types of measuring systems and units.

Just think of all of the different things we measure every day! We measure the time by looking at clocks and watches so that we know when to wake up and when to be at school or work. We measure days and years by checking our calendars. We measure the weather each morning to decide what to wear. Some of us measure how many calories we burn at the gym each day or how much food to serve for dinner.

Learn about some other common things that we measure at Explorit. Explore different units and systems of measurement. Investigate the tools used to measure everything from your heart rate to the wind speed. The exhibition also highlights the history of measurement and looks at nonstandard units of measurement.

For example, ancient Egyptians used a unit of measurement called a cubit. A cubit was the distance between a person’s elbow and the tip of his or her outstretched middle finger. For an adult, a cubit might be the equivalent of 16 inches or so. However, a child’s cubit might measure only 8 to 10 inches. So, a cubit is a unit of measurement that varies from person to person.

Nonstandard units of measurement, like the cubit, made trade difficult, especially across cultures that used entirely different terms to define measurements. For example, King Henry I of England coined the term “yard” to measure length while the Vikings used “fathoms.” Jacks, jills and ros were other nonstandard units of measurement which were used until measurement became standardized world-wide.

It wasn’t until as recent as 1960 that international standards for measurement were developed. The Metric System, also known as the Systeme International, uses six basic units of measurement: the meter (length), the kilogram (weight), the second (time), the ampere (electrical current), the kelvin (temperature), and the candela (brightness of light).

Scientists are still developing new ways to measure things even today. Only a few years ago mercury-based thermometers provided the latest technology for measuring body temperature. Today, digital thermometers are just as accurate and easier to read.

Experiment with a variety of measuring tools and instruments, including thermometers, at Explorit this Saturday. Measure your body temperature, heart rate, reaction time and blood pressure. Also explore volume, area, circumference, time, and more. Explorit will be open from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Special thanks go to the Thomas Long Foundation for sponsoring “Measure for Measure: Sizing Up Your World.”

Explorit will be closed from Dec. 2 through 7 and will reopen on Saturday, Dec. 8 with “On the Go! The Ways Things Move.”

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Explorit is also now offering Winter Science Classes from Dec. 17 through 28. Winter classes provide an educational and entertaining way to spend the winter break for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. All classes offer engaging hands-on activities and enriching experiences. Registration is already underway and some classes have already sold out. Call Explorit today for more information or to register for classes.

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