Human civilization as we know it, the post-agricultural coalescence into cities and states and nations, is underpinned by a singular drive: the drive to measure things.  It’s as difficult to escape as it is to fully recognize, but measurement has been the enabler of most of the things we’ve done so far as a species (think about it a moment).  For instance, we can’t understand modern views of private property (i.e., land) without the ability to measure land parcels. Similarly, precise measurements of volume and mass and density let us properly value quantities of aggregate goods, such as grain. And finally, to use a modern example, we can’t perform high frequency trades without the ability to conceptualize and use long floating point operations.

The adage, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” feels intuitively true to us, to a people raised entirely within a framework of measurement.  I suspect most of us would feel uncomfortable if we abandoned our precise digital clocks for more than a few days.  We’re so accustomed to existing with measuring devices all around us that we might feel naked without them.  But can we go too far?  Are there things that can’t be measured with enough certainty to bring them fully under our control?  And what are the implications?