PARIS — The Italian government wants to change the name of the international unit of electrical potential from “volt” to “volta,” to pay tribute to Italian electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta two centuries after his death.
Volta, who is credited with inventing the electric battery and discovering methane, had the “volt” named after him — but in Anglicized form.
Now, the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to re-nationalize it by restoring the errant “a.”
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For Rome, “the Italian proposal is part of a broader effort to promote the country’s scientific heritage and Italy’s role in major international technological innovation initiatives.”
