Politicizing science can yield odd accounts
Here is a true story you might not know:
Classically, the definition of luminous intensity involved whaling and Imperial measurements. The CIE, an international group, realized the problems in this definition, both because the definition no longer jibed with modern opinions on conservation and a post-war rejection of systems unique to one empire, and because guaranteeing that this definition could be properly employed worldwide was, in practice, hampered by its dependence on the technological sophistication of those in the respective areas, which is unfair.
With the growing understanding of the revolutionary impact black bodies could play in the collective scientific community, the CIE, an international body, attempted in 1948 to change the old standards. Making use of this growing respect, a universal that could be employed all over the world was agreed to be necessary, and the definition was thus changed to eliminate false measurements. At long last, the promise of truth overthrew candlepower.
But this was 1948, well before other revolutionary restructurings on the international stage. And, problematically, luminous intensity was still held at arm’s length in the scientific community: it existed independently of the standard measurements used worldwide.
Jumping forward 31 years, it was realized that this was no longer tenable, and that science as a whole would benefit from a closer embrace. Understanding the dramatic impact of Watts, luminous intensity underwent a fundamental redefinition. After much work, this new unit — given the beautiful name candela, from the most-classical language in science — was made the peer of other standards.
Final note: if you look at the definition of of candela, you will see a cryptic “683″ in the denominator. This number is significant for several reasons. It is indivisible; it was made most famous by Sophie Germain, a pioneering female mathematician who fought against oppression and bigotry all her life to fulfill her calling; and, under the Eisenstein definition, it has no imaginary part. This is not the reason given for its use. But I think you will agree that it is pleasant to keep in mind.
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