The Fates from Ancient Greek mythology appear in The Measure when scientists attempt to understand the strings and look for similar events and ideas in human history.
The Fates, also known as the Moirai, are the personifications of destiny. Three sisters weaving represent The Fates—Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. The Latin word meritum, which translates to the English word merit, may be where the term moirai is derived. Moira may also refer to "portion in life, lot, destiny." In this mythology, the belief is that the Fates not only assign humans destinies at birth but also ensure that every being lives out their assigned destiny.
Each sister's name reveals her duty. Clotho means "spinner," and she spins the thread of life. Lachesis, or "allotter," measures the length of the allotted thread of life for each person with her measuring stick, and Atropos, or "unturning/inevitable," cuts off the string of life with her shears. Similarly, the Fates were sometimes assigned a specific time—Atropos is the past, Clotho the present, and Lachesis the future.
