A huge amount of effort on Earth has been made towards standardizing measures. Most of this is not properly appreciated by those who use such systems- including ostracizing those who have failed to conform to the more widely accepted systems of measure.
Every measure has a proper context and scope – as well as arbitrary basis. Every measure has a point where it loses usefulness because of the nature of the thing measured.
There is no such thing as space-metric. But we’ve also got to cover some measurements that are simply handwoven by most fiction.
The light year is invalid, as it is based off the orbital period of a single planet.Any subdivision of this is invalid – until we get down to the light second; the second is defined based on vibration of matter, at a given time dilation, temperature, as well as the speed of light in vacumn. These arbitrary measures are at least reproducible.
The parsec is invalid, because it depends on a single planetary orbit. Astronomical Unit? Same.
The meter, centigrade, second, gram – and their derivative measures are all arbitrary choices, even if fairly well defined ones.
Base 10 is arbitrary- better defined as base 9+1.
The periodic table is not arbitrary, but is a greatly simplified view of what it portends to show. Ad the one you were taught has several alternatives.
The very concept of elevation being measured in different units than cardinal dimensions is present on Earth, but ignored.
Imperial measurements are after more anthrocentric, and also have clear metric definitions, but also just as arbitrary.
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