Paper moon

[celestialweasel]

As is often the case with these polls, when one sees the results one thinks of more questions. Mr zengineer may be disappointed that I don't have a profound point. I was just surprised that, once again, people at work looked at me as though I were mad when I said something about A[n] paper sizes

Comments

[zengineer]

I was, of course, aware of this as it is of particular relevance to engineers. No one has ever told me how it came about though so I was prompted to google it.
"The advantages of basing a paper size upon an aspect ratio of \sqrt{2} were first noted in 1786 by the German scientist and philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.[2] Early in the 20th century, Dr Walter Porstmann turned Lichtenberg's idea into a proper system of different paper sizes. Porstmann's system was introduced as a DIN standard (DIN 476) in Germany in 1922"
So invented by a German Scientist/Philosopher - I was expecting it to be the paper industry.

[jackfirecat]

>the area of an A0 sheet of paper is a square metre.

I did not know that. I am pleased to now know that.