Building on the 1960 redefinition of the metre, international bodies continued refining the SI system through the 1970s, adding new base units and redefining existing ones in terms of physical constants. These revisions increased the precision of scientific measurement globally. While abstract in themselves, such standardisations underpinned the international scientific collaboration that made modern technology — and the digital tools poets now use — possible.

The expansion of new SI base units in 1970 enhanced precision in scientific poetry, allowing poets to address the atomic and cosmic scales with greater clarity. Poets like A.R. Ammons began to explore the relationship between science and art, enriching their works with scientific metaphors.