====== Tailslengths and Heartbeats ======

The standard unit of length at Focus is the //Tailslength// or just //tail// which, while long since redefined in terms of physical constants, is meant to approximate the length of an adult yinrih's tail.



The standard unit of time in scientific circles doesn't mesh neatly into the Yih calendar as the SI second does with hours and days. It's called the //heartbeat// or simply //beat// It approximates a yinrih's resting heart rate, though, as above, it has been redefined experimentally.



The heartbeat is used as the basis for the //Spacer Epoch//, which is an alternative way of reckoning time used by Spacers, not bound to planetary rotations or orbits. The Spacer Epoch is defined as the number of heartbeats since the founding of the first permanent orbital colony, which occurred in the Yih year 3461.



{{tag>science_and_tech}}