Revisiting the Powers of Ten
As our G-20 masters hobnobbed across Europe last week they issued communiques with some staggeringly large numbers.
As humans we can understand quantities of ten by looking at our hands. We can understand quantities of a hundred when we cram ourselves into a budget airline. We can even understand thousands when we go to the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.
But millions, billions, and trillions? They are just so far removed from our everyday experiences that they are nearly impossible to comprehend.
What does 1.1 trillion (that’s 1,100,000,000,000) really mean?
Fortunately Ray and Charles Eames have come to our rescue.
Their remarkable 1977 film puts things in perspective. Try and guess the scale of a trillion (10^12) before you start watching.
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