The measurement and action: stakes of knowledge quality to navigate the complexities of Cop21

  The measurement is a key tool for innovation and many jobs and new skills are related to it.
Metrology is a cross-discipline. It's use by everyone, all the time. It is allowing us to make decisions based on measurement results; which is one of the objective of the COP21.

  In every job we are forced into the process of decision making with the weight of uncertainty on our shoulders ; our trust in the results is often tested.The measure is a social construct ; it is explained by the decisive issue of loyalty in trade, by a desire to ensure an objective but also by its auxiliary function of law for citizens.This is an element of pacification of social interaction and a rhetorical element giving credence to our position and establishing trust.

  The measure ensures a certain effectiveness and efficiency; it is the key to competitiveness and a safer world.It allows the construction / validation of scientific models through process like observation, modeling, prediction and verification. We are estimating uncertainty in order to make legitimate decisions.

  Measurment is always related to a reduction of the system's complexity. How to trust the results ? The measure plays its role only if not suspected ; it must produce trust (legitimacy of the "normalizer" and certification of the accuracy).To measure is to quantify the size, to compared it to a specific reference and expressing uncertainty. Three questions arise : what are you measuring (the variable)? What is the reference unit? and the experimental method? We compare the experimental results to a specification on the basis of their compliance and then it is possible to deduce predictions.

  But should we measure everything? The questions to ask are: what are the characteristics of the studied variable? what is the reference? who are the experts? and what is the reproducibility? This is the procedure that will define the measure.

  Conclusion: Do not seek for absolute certainty (that is impossible !!!) but a materialized certainty.