Units. 3 eso

Read the following articles and try to explain Alec what do they mean.
About units:
http://articles.cnn.com/1999-09-30/tech/9909_30_mars.metric.02_1_climate-orbiter-spacecraft-team-metric-system?_s=PM:TECH

About Nobel Prize in Chemistry:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/science/07nobel.html