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Explore the critical role of measurement and navigation in both peacetime and warfare through this historical Christmas Lecture delivered by Reginald Victor Jones at The Royal Institution in 1981. Discover how humanity's need to determine precise location on Earth's surface has evolved from ancient maritime navigation challenges to modern satellite-based positioning systems. Learn about the development of longitude and latitude systems, the invention of the chronometer in the 1760s that revolutionized sea navigation, and how radio wave technology transformed global timekeeping by enabling Greenwich time transmission worldwide. Examine the principles behind hyperbolic navigation methods and understand how the same techniques used for gun location can be applied to determine position through time interval measurements from multiple transmission points. Investigate the emerging NAVSAT satellite system that promises positioning accuracy within ten meters despite satellites operating thousands of miles away at speeds of eighteen thousand miles per hour. Consider the dual-edged nature of navigation technology, as the same principles enabling precise location determination can also be applied to military targeting systems for bombs and missiles. This lecture forms part of a comprehensive series on measurement that examines both the remarkable achievements and potential dangers of our modern technological world, while acknowledging the limitations of measurement in capturing unmeasurable human qualities like love and courage.
