“If it is possible to have a linear unit that depends on no other quantity, it would seem natural to prefer it. Moreover, a mensural unit taken from the earth itself offers another advantage, that of being perfectly analogous to all the real measurements that in ordinary usage are also made upon the earth, such as the distance between two places or the area of some tract, for example. It is far more natural in practice to refer geographical distances to a quadrant of a great circle than to the length of a pendulum.” IfsMadeTwoRealSeemsEarthScienceNaturalPracticeTakenExampleDependsOffersOrdinaryAdvantageAreasDistanceDefinitionsCirclesLengthQuantityUnitsMeasurementLinearUsagePendulums Author:Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet
“One of the most important axioms is, that as the quantity of any commodity, for instance, plain food, which a man has to consume, increases, so the utility or benefit derived from the last portion used decreases in degree. The decrease in enjoyment between the beginning and the end of a meal may be taken as an example.” MenMayImportantEndsLastsUsedTakenExampleDegreesBenefitsIncreaseInstanceMealsEnjoymentPortionsQuantityCommodityUtilityDecreaseAxioms Book:Papers and correspondence of William Stanley Jevons Source: Papers and correspondence of William Stanley Jevons
“...after a certain quantity, photos apparently taken by chance, postcards chosen according to a passing mood, begin to trace an itinerary, to map the imaginary country that stretches out before us.” CountryCertainChanceTakenMoodPassingChosenPassingsMapsQuantityImaginaryPostcards Author:Chris Marker
“The most striking feature of the new is the sheer mass. Photography was previously a mass phenomenon, but now, quantity is doubtless the outstanding quality. For a long time photos have been taken frequently and everywhere, but now photos are taken permanently and everywhere,... What is new is that we can watch them practically in real time.” LongHas BeensRealQualityWatchesTakenPhotographyMassLong TimeFeaturesPhenomenonQuantitySheerOutstanding Author:Joachim Schmid