IkkeSI

IkkeSI is a nonprofit research and educational community dedicated to examining measurement systems that lie outside the International System of Units (SI). The group assembles scholars, educators, and practitioners to document, analyze, and discuss non-SI units, historical variants, and cultural contexts of measurement. The aim is to clarify how different units affect science communication, technology design, and everyday literacy.

Origin and development: IkkeSI began as an online forum in the early 2010s for researchers interested in the history and pedagogy of units. It expanded into an open-access resource hub that curates case studies, historical papers, and teaching materials. The initiative also organizes an annual conference and regional events that bring together teachers, museum professionals, and metrology researchers.

Activities: The core outputs include a peer-oriented series of articles, a searchable repository of non-SI units and conversion notes, and curricular resources for classrooms and museum exhibits. The platform emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration, including linguistics, history, and engineering.

Organization and access: Governance is provided by a rotating steering committee drawn from its international membership. The project operates a public website, an open discussion forum, and a volunteer network that maintains the repository and event program. Regional chapters and working groups coordinate with partner institutions.

Reception and impact: IkkeSI is primarily cited as a resource for historians of science and measurement literacy initiatives. Critics note that promoting non-SI units must be carefully bounded to avoid undermining standardization. Overall, it is viewed as a niche but useful community for reflection on how units shape knowledge and practice.