Because of this, the actual International Prototype Kilogram (yes, there does onlyseemtobe one in existence) is stored in a vault in Sevres, France, limiting the lay person's ability to determine the actual weight of a kilogram.
"They're saying 'getting a good deal for us means survival, but you seemtobe coming to the table only with what's feasible domestically' - and there is another reality that trumps domestic political realities, " he told BBC News.