Portable self-describing representations of measurements

A data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory, the data storage and retrieval system comprising:

• means for configuring and storing first structured data in the computer memory as a computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
• a first value constituting a first portion of the first structured data;
• and
• first natural language content providing context for the first value by describing the first value as a first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first value and the first natural language content describing the first value;
• and
• means for searching a plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object stored in the computer memory.

A data storage and retrieval method for a computer memory, the method comprising:

• configuring and storing first structured data in the computer memory as a. computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
• a first value constituting a first portion of the first structured data;
• and
• first natural language content providing context for the first value by describing the first value as a first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first value and the first natural language content describing the first value.

A data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory, the data storage and retrieval system comprising at least one computing device to:

• configure and store first structured data in the computer memory as a computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
• a first numeric value constituting a first portion of the first structured data;
• and
• first natural language content providing context for the first numeric value by describing the first numeric value as a. first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first numeric value and the first natural language content describing the first numeric value;
• and
• perform at least one computation using respective numeric values of multiple measurement statement objects of the plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object.