The Silent Benefactor: Why Explaining the Importance of Metrology Involves Addressing the Counterfactual

Metrology, the science of measurement, is an essential underpinning technology—an infratechnology. The correct functioning of the international measurement system that metrology supports is a prerequisite for the development of technology and wider progress in science. Metrology and the measurement system are at risk of being underappreciated. They potentially face a ‘no-win’ environment: their consistent success, a testament to their effectiveness, ironically leads to invisibility. The public and media tend only to pay attention when things go wrong, resulting in negative headlines. Furthermore, metrology’s emphasis on gradual, incremental improvements, crucial for maintaining long-term stability and safety, is incompatible with the short-term focus of the media. This leaves metrology perpetually struggling to gain recognition for its vital contributions and can lead to a danger that metrology will not receive the recognition or resources that it needs to continue delivering benefits. A different way of explaining the indispensability of metrology is therefore needed. This work takes a novel approach to explaining the benefits of metrology by considering the counterfactual argument—examining the consequences if the international measurement system was to fail. It concludes that a balanced argument demonstrating what benefits metrology provides, challenged with the counterfactual of what would happen if it did not, is likely to be the most effective mechanism to ensure the work of metrology and the indispensability of the international measurement system are properly appreciated.