The head of the committee of scientists formed by the French Academy of Sciences in the 18th century to develop a standard system of weights and measures was Pierre-Simon Laplace.

While Laplace was a key figure, it's important to note that the committee was a collaborative effort involving many other prominent scientists, including:

* Jean-Charles de Borda

* Adrien-Marie Legendre

* Joseph-Louis Lagrange

* Charles-Augustin Coulomb

* Pierre-François-André Méchain

* Jean-Baptiste Delambre

This group was tasked with defining the meter and the kilogram based on natural phenomena, leading to the creation of the metric system.