Tag Archives: Evergreen

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Mechanical Clock from 1895 Still Ticking

Located in the Mechanical Engineering Building this clock has been keeping time for over 120 years and its ticking can be heard throughout the building. The clock was built by the Seth Thomas Clock Company and was installed in 1904.

The clock’s mechanism is powered by weights that are wound up manually twice a week. It has a pendulum that swings back and forth, keeping time with remarkable accuracy. The clock is also equipped with a chime that rings every quarter hour, as well as a striking mechanism that sounds the hours.

Over the years, the clock has undergone several renovations and restorations to keep it in good working order. In 2009, the clock was fitted with an electric motor to assist in winding the weights, but it still operates primarily through mechanical means.

Original Heavilon Hall clock installed in Gatewood Wing

Date & Time: Representations For Information Interchange

“A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery” | Joseph Wright (1766)

Most nations follow the day/month/year format (07/01/19 for January 7, 2019, for example), but the United States adheres to its own format of month/day/year (1/7/19 or 1/7/2019).   The potential for misinterpreting dates across national boundaries is the logic for ISO 8601:2019 – Data Elements And Interchange Formats – Information Interchange – Representation Of Dates And Times, the ISO format for dates represents year, month, and day from the largest unit to the smallest, most specific unit of time.  The ISO date format is the date format used in SQL and is the default date setting on many computers.

ISO 8601-1:2019 Date And Time – Representations For Information Interchange – Part 1: Basic Rules

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Time and Date

How the ISO Date Format Tells Today

ISO Date Format

Date and time formats used in HTML

Making Greenwich the centre of the world

Language Proficiency

“The first and most distinguishing feature of civil society is the use of language.”

Adam Ferguson’s “An Essay on the History of Civil Society”

“Minerva Preserving to the World the Latin Grammar”

Standard Practice for Assessing Language Proficiency

Committee F43 on Language Services and Products

One of the easiest ways to persuade someone who disagrees with you is to change the subject without them knowing about it.  Application of this method is found in the technical literature that informs safety and sustainability regulations at all levels of government.  Change definitions; change the subject; outcome changed — hence our interest in spoken, written and computer languages.

Almost all technical standards begin with a list of definitions which, among domain experts, are frequently hard won.

From the project prospectus:

Purpose—This practice describes best practices for the development and use of language tests in the modalities of speaking, listening, reading, and writing for assessing ability in accordance with the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)2 scale. This practice focuses on testing language proficiency in use of language for communicative purposes.

Limitations—This practice is not intended to address testing and test development in the following specialized areas: Translation, Interpretation, Audio Translation, Transcription, other job-specific language performance tests, or Diagnostic Assessment.   Tests developed under this practice should not be used to address any of the above excluded purposes (for example, diagnostics).

This title was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Committee.

As of the date of this post we find no changes in the titles developed by this committee; nor do we see any notice of meetings; likely owed to the circumstances of the pandemic. Last Update: April 2020

Language lies at the foundation of all standards-setting so we maintain this title on the standing agenda of several of our daily colloquia.  Its an “evergreen” topic that we can explore every day in every title in every catalog   Feel free to click in to any of our daily colloquia; login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

A Translator’s Journey


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Standards for the Modern Language Industry

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Michigan State University: A Rhetorical History of the United States

CORRECTION: In the clip above, at the 5:11 mark, the caption should read: “He mobilized the English language”

 

„Jede Sprache ist eine schlechte Übersetzung“ – Franz Kafka

Standards for American Prosperity

 

Crucial Role of Standards for American Prosperity Highlighted in CSIS Roundtable Session with S. Joe Bhatia

 

Here are some of the ways in which government regulations impede economic growth:

  1. Increased costs: Regulations can impose additional costs on businesses, which can affect their ability to operate efficiently and compete in the marketplace. For example, regulations can require businesses to invest in new technologies or processes to comply with environmental or safety standards, which can increase their expenses.
  2. Reduced innovation: Some people believe that regulations can stifle innovation and entrepreneurship, as businesses may be hesitant to invest in new products or technologies that could be subject to strict regulations. This can limit the potential for new businesses to emerge and grow.
  3. Slowed job growth: Regulations can increase the cost of doing business, which can lead to reduced hiring and slower job growth. This can be particularly challenging for small businesses that may not have the resources to comply with regulatory requirements.
  4. Reduced competition: Regulations can sometimes create barriers to entry for new businesses, which can reduce competition and limit economic growth. This can be particularly true in industries that are heavily regulated, such as healthcare and finance.
  5. Reduced trade: Regulations can make it more difficult for businesses to operate in international markets, as they may face additional regulatory requirements and trade barriers. This can limit economic growth and reduce opportunities for businesses to expand their operations.

It is important to note that regulations can also have benefits, such as protecting consumers and the environment, promoting fair competition, and fostering innovation. It’s essential to strike a balance between regulatory requirements and economic growth to ensure that businesses can thrive while also protecting public health and safety. 

The U.S. Standards System effectively provides a “shadow government” that runs parallel to the elected government so that a balance of informed voices are present in formulating what Montesquieu called the “necessary laws”.   See our ABOUT.

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NIST: Procedures for the Development of American National Standards

ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards

Office of Management & Budget Circulars in Numerical Sequence

Standard Reference Material

Metrology is the scientific discipline that deals with measurement, including both the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement. It is a broad field that encompasses many different areas, including length, mass, time, temperature, and electrical and optical measurements.  The goal of metrology is to establish a system of measurement that is accurate, reliable, and consistent. This involves the development of standards and calibration methods that enable precise and traceable measurements to be made.

The International System of Units is the most widely used system of units today and is based on a set of seven base units, which are defined in terms of physical constants or other fundamental quantities.  Another important aspect of metrology is the development and use of measurement instruments and techniques. These instruments and techniques must be designed to minimize errors and uncertainties in measurements, and they must be calibrated against recognized standards to ensure accuracy and traceability.

Metrology also involves the development of statistical methods for analyzing and interpreting measurement data. These methods are used to quantify the uncertainty associated with measurement results and to determine the reliability of those results.

National Institute for Standards & Technology

Federal Participation in Consensus Standards

ARCHIVE: UM Welcomes ANSI 2015

Architecture and Aesthetic Education

“The most enduring architectural works  are those

that speak to the timeless principles of beauty and order.”

— Roger Scruton

 


Special Events

“View of the Colosseum” 1747 Giovanni Paolo Panini

Special event safety and sustainability — keeping large groups of people safe and engaged in the event itself — cuts across many disciplines.  Educational settlements are ideal settings and the raison d’être for these communities everywhere.   Today at 15:00 UTC we will charge through the best practice catalogs of the following standards setting organizations:

American Society of Civil Engineers

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Water closets & Hygiene devices

American National Standards Institute

American Water Works Association

ASHRAE International

ASTM International

Consumer Technology Association

International Code Council

ICC 300 Bleachers, Folding Seating, Grandstands

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

Automated Sports Court Drawing Bot

International Standardization Organization

ISO/PC 250 Sustainability in event management (British Standards Institute is the Global Secretariat)

List of All ANSI ISO TAGS  (There is no ANSI US TAG Administrator as of 1 October 2023)

National Fire Protection Association

Arenas, Lecture Halls & Theaters

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

Telecommunications Industry Association

Underwriter Laboratories

At the moment we cover outdoor and indoor events because, conceptually, there is substantial overlap.  It is likely, however, that in the fullness of time we will have to break down the coverage between exterior and interior events.

There are a number of titles from the foregoing short list of SDO’s that are open for consultation during the next 30 to 90 days so it is not likely we will have time to examine other niche SDO’s in the special event domain.  For example:

Audio Standards

Audiovisual Experiences

Theater Safety

Baseball Lighting

Entertainment Technology

Lighting Theatre & Auditorium Spaces

There are others.

Media production audio visual

Action on open global and government consultations, and examination of developments in the research bibliography will have to wait for another day also.  We cover them fairly well in the breakout meetings shown on our CALENDAR.

As always, today’s colloquium in open to everyone with the login credentials available on the upper right of our home page.

Sport Scoreboards

Federal Participation in Consensus Standards

“City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard” | George Cooke (1833)

 

The White House Office of Management and Budget released a revision of OMB Circular No. A-119, Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.  According to the announcement:

OMB has issued a revision of Circular A-119 in light of changes that have taken place in the world of regulation, standards, and conformity assessment since the Circular was last revised in 1998.  OMB’s revisions are meant to provide more detailed guidance to agencies to take into account several issues, including the Administration’s current work in Open Government, developments in regulatory policy and international trade, and changes in technology.

The response by ANSI is available at the link below:

ANSI Response OMB A-119 050614

The degree to which leading practice can be discovered and promoted by industries themselves is a policy issue upon which good minds will disagree.   Few nations disagree that innovation is faster and more enduring from the workpoint (or the point of consumption) up, but markets are not perfect instruments for discovering the greater good.  At a speech given at the University of Michigan in 2015 , S. Joe Bhatia, CEO of the American National Standards Institute, expands upon this point in the short videoclip below:

Issue: [16-18]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

Category: Federal Regulation

 

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