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Night of Museums

Published by: Adam Żeberkiewicz

This year offer prepared by the central Office of Measures for night of museums enjoyed bug popularity. The great attendance and attention of the visitors were reason for keeping the office's doors one hour longer as foreseen. The last visitor left the office building at 1 am.

On Saturday 14 May 2016, a few hundred of guests took the opportunity to take part in guided tours and see the most interesting historical collection of the Central Office of Measures. The collection consists of valuable measuring instruments such as: the brass container of the volume of the Warsaw's half bushel from 1977, the Lithuanian weight marked with the Kościesza Blazon from 1677, one of the first electricity meters by Aron company from 19th century, collection of balances and weights, historical gas- and water meters and many other extraordinary measuring instruments used to measure time, volume, mass, force, length and physico-chemical quantities.

After learning about past the amateurs of night visiting had an opportunity to get back to the present day by watching a short movie presentation and see how do look like the modern laboratories and daily work of the metrology experts at the Central Office of Measures.

But the visitors spent most time visiting the exhibitions stands of metrology and hallmarking experts. The experts measured with help of the chronocomparometer the watch's rate of people interested in such tests. Taking this opportunity the visitors had a chance to check whether the expensive watches are really more accurate. In spite of being late, everybody tasted his or her reflex gladly. After testing the participants received diplomas with the pictured reflex scale. The score could be marked on the scale starting with snail, continuing with fawn and ending with ostrich.

The visitors tested worn by them jewelry willingly. The assay officers examined samples of golden and silver jewelry on the stone gauges made of natural touchstone and explained methods of testing. They also had to answer numerous questions regarding durability and provenance of jewellery.

The majority of guests were interested in energy efficiency and reasonable energy consume at home. On the exhibitions stands, the visitors could see the energy consume level of different light sources, mobile phone chargers, radio and domestic electrical appliances while stand-by modus. At the same time, they could check how much does each activity cost and how far we are able to reduce the energy consume and, consequently, our electricity bill payments by replacing appliances with more efficient ones and learning lessons how to use it more reasonable. (for instance, by boiling instead of whole kettle just one cup of water to make tee per one person).

We would like to thank all visitors for interesting questions and invite you to participate again next year!

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