From UNESCO to Versailles—and far beyond—social media comes alive with moments of science, celebration and global connection.

As the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) marks 150 years since the signing of the Metre Convention, the global metrology community has turned to social media to share its enthusiasm, pride and participation in this historic moment.

LinkedIn, in particular, has seen an outpouring of activity as scientists, delegates, technical experts and communicators from across the world reflect on their role in the anniversary celebrations—both in person and from afar.

Photos from the Field

From formal group portraits at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to snapshots from the Scientific Conference at the Palais des Congrès in Versailles, attendees have posted a rich visual tapestry of the events held from 20–22 May 2025.

​​​​​​​

See the full posts: Georgette Macdonald | Callie McAulay | Tara Cubel Liebisch | CFM Collège Français de Métrologie | Kangyoung Sung | Rahima Guliyeva

One post from Chemical Metrologist Hwee Tong Tan captured the spirit of the BIPM–UNESCO Symposium, calling it “an opportunity to celebrate with old friends and make new ones, united by a shared commitment to science, accuracy, and progress.”

Another from Metrologist Dorothy Mringie highlighted her contribution to the Versailles Scientific Conference, noting that she “was honored to present at Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), alongside those who define the SI units and are shaping the future of time itself.”

Georja Calvin-Smith (Broadcast Journalist and Master of Ceremonies for the BIPM–UNESCO Symposium on 20 May) added to the outpouring of messages, posting an enthusiastic overview of her experience of the event and introduction to the world of metrology.

​​​​​​​

And Edgar Flores Jardines, of the BIPM Chemistry Department, shared photos of the Poster Portion of the BIPM’s celebrations, noting that “when people from around the world come together to share ideas, we all move forward.”

​​​​​​​

Celebrations Beyond France

Beyond Paris, institutions from every continent marked the Anniversary in their own way—posting photos of in-house exhibitions, scientific poster displays and technical presentations, all echoing this year’s shared theme:

“Measurements for all times, for all people.”

One of the most notable posts came from INRiM - Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, who posted photos of the Mole Antonelliana Torino lit up with the BIPM’s 150th Anniversary logo.

​​​​​​​

See their full post here

Adding to the moment, the UK National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC shared a photo of their mouthwatering 150th Anniversary cupcakes, handed out during their own celebrations. The sweet treats were part of a larger event that included a poster exhibition highlighting “how our science is helping to address some of the challenges facing the world today.”

​​​​​​​

See their full post here

Taking a slightly more “thrill-seeking” approach to their celebrations, VSL National Metrology Institute in the Netherlands posted moments from a metrology-inspired Escape Room! We are told that the winning team managed to crack all the puzzles and escape in an impressive 5.47 minutes!

​​​​​​​

See their full post here

And finally (for this round of outstanding LinkedIn posts at least) the National Metrology Institute of Malaysia, SIRIM (NMIM-SIRIM)’s account posted a series of lively video interviews. The clips captured participants’ key takeaways, lessons learned and personal impressions of World Metrology Day.

​​​​​​​

See their account for all their videos here