What is a Standard Anyway?

There is an old adage that goes: “Everything old is new again.” This is commonly used when a fad — like bell-bottom blue jeans — comes back into favor after a period of time. Conversely, there are constants, like Friday night football, that become more of a tradition and never go out of style. These traditions lend themselves to a certain standard. These standards lead to an expectation of the experience. In the United States, the standard measurement for liquids like cow’s milk and gasoline is the gallon. However, the standard for soda is the liter. The United States standard for driving distances is miles, but the standard for running distances is the kilometer. The standard for children’s medication 30 years ago was the teaspoon, but today it is the milliliter.