Scientists and government representatives from around the world gathered at the Palace of Versailles near Paris to vote for the amendment. As the source writes, the need for new prefixes is due to the ever-increasing volume of data.

New hookups

Now the units of measure will be:

• Ronna and Quetta for the biggest numbers.
• Ronto and kekto for the youngest.

Prefixes make it easy to express large quantities. For example, the words kilometer (1000 meters) or millimeters (thousandths of a meter) have already become familiar. Since the SI system was created in 1960, the scientific need has led to an increase in the number of prefixes. New prefixes were last introduced in 1991 – zetta and yotta. One jottameter is approximately 105.7 light-years. However, not one iota is enough to cope with the modern world’s insatiable appetite for big data. New prefixes could simplify the way we talk about large objects.

• According to the new rules, the earth weighs about six ronnagrams – 6 and 27 zeros.
• Jupiter is about two quettagrams – a two with thirty zeros.

The new prefixes should meet the world’s need for large numbers over the next 20 to 25 years.