Hi. I'm Michael Kosta.
Feet. They aren't just the most searched term
in my browser history,
they're also how we measure things.
But did you know that America
has two different foot measurements?
It's a problem that started decades ago,
and until now had gone unsolved.
Let's start off with a quick history lesson
about America's foot problem.
In the 19th century, a hot new trend
was sweeping across Europe: the metric system.
It was so popular that it successfully made the jump
to America, like Ed Sheeran.
In 1866, Congress passed the U.S. Metric Act,
which recognized the foot
not as some British arbitrary measurement,
like the length of Her Majesty's royal middle finger,
but as an exact number based on the metric system
with one foot equal to 1,200
divided by 3,937 of a meter.
And in 1893, the Mendenhall Order
formally makes that the legal definition of a foot.
Measurement nerds, or feet creeps, as I call them,
wanted an exact number, which would help
industrial machines make standardized parts
that are the exact same length everywhere in the world.
So, in 1959, the U.S. redefined the foot
to international standards,
making it exactly .3048 of a meter.
This becomes known as the international foot,
and it is just slightly shorter
than the old 1893 foot.
And I know what you're thinking.
"So America has two foot measurements. Big deal."
I couldn't agree more.
Why does it even matter?
Having two feet for measuring things
is really uncool.
KOSTA: Meet Dr. Dennis.
He works with the National Geodetic Survey
as a geodesist.
Geodesist?
I'm a geodesist.
Uh, geodesy is the science behind mapping,
surveying and navigation.
And I kept running into this problem
with the different versions of the foot.
You're basically a foot doctor, right?
Or, excuse me, a feet doctor.
Not-not quite that, no. We won't say that.
Well, 'cause I was gonna ask you. 'Cause I've been jogging,
and I have in my right foot...
Oh, I-I think that's outside my area of expertise.
-But I appreciate you asking. -Okay.
So, what is the foot problem that you're experiencing?
There are two versions of the foot
in current use in the United States.
One foot is older than the other one,
and it's a little bit longer than the other one,
and people mix them up-- well, surveyors mix them up--
and it causes problems.
Two different feet? Okay.
How different are these feet?
They are not very different.
Two parts per million.
That is about an eighth of an inch per mile.
-What? -It's almost nothing.
So why did I take my Tuesday afternoon
to even talk with you? Why does it matter?
Once you get to a million feet, the difference is two feet.
Now you're talking about a pretty big difference.
And what was happening is people would go
to a location on the ground that was off by several feet.
This is a nuisance
and, in some cases, more than a nuisance.
Right. No, and this stuff actually makes a difference.
It really does.
This needs to be changed.
You're a scientist.
You want to fix problems. You want to find solutions.
So what are you doing about it?
I'm glad you put me on the spot, because I take it seriously,
and I am doing something about it.
Now, one large group of surveyors
called the National Society of Professional Surveyors, NSPS,
it represents all the surveyors throughout the United States.
I decided to go speak to them directly.
-And I gave a presentation. -KOSTA: Wow.
DENNIS: Gave them all the history and all that.
And I didn't know if they would throw tomatoes at me or what,
but once they heard the whole story,
they bought in.
The date of deprecation for the U.S. survey foot
is December 31, 2022.
Wow. You did it!
We did it.
What can Americans do
to prepare for this big change?
Should I set my clock back?
What will the new temperature be?
I assume all units of measurement
are-are connected, right?
It might seem like kind of letdown,
but the average American's not gonna notice anything.
Okay, so, great. I can still brag to people
about having a footlong.
Yeah. You... Absolutely. You won't have to qualify,
"Oh, I meant an international footlong."
You can just say "footlong."
Okay, great. 'Cause...
I have a small penis, but...
This is a footlong.
Okay, and I won't comment on that last thing
-if that's okay. -Okay.
Uh, Mr. Foot Doctor,
based on this achievement,
did you get accolades?
Any acknowledgment?
Um, nothing formal.
Just, um, said that I did a good job.
No... No other recognition.
Well, guess what.
That's about to change.
Did you receive a package from us recently?
I did indeed. Just a couple of days ago.
-Something I was thrilled to get. -Unbelievable.
Can you show that to the camera, please?
This is it. I'm gonna hold it up
in a way that everyone can hopefully see.
Isn't that beautiful? Look at that.
Look at that foot. Isn't that lovely?
And I have to say, I am extremely pleased
with the trophy. It'll be in a prominent place forever
at our home.
Dr. Michael Dennis,
the measurement hero who set the record straight
by taking America's feet into his own hands.
I'm Michael Kosta.
You... can thank me later.