Expressing Measurements Via Analogies & Comparisons

[Xanatic*]

As children, me and my siblings loved the comparison book that my father had. It showed you things like how many giraffes tall the Empire State Building was or how many Volkswagens a blue whale weighs. I gave my nephew a similar book recently.

 

[joeosker]

Harvard University beat you to it with the Smoot.

maximus otter

By 4 years and 1 inch :0)

 

[Xanatic*]

There are units for how hot an object is, but not really for how cool it is. I feel we should introduce the milli-Fonz for that. A Fonz of course being -273,15 degrees celcius and so a milli-Fonz a thousandth of that.

 

[Tunn11]

Are we talking Masai, Southern, Northern or Reticulated giraffe?

 

[ChasFink]

l quoted this to my wife. Her response: “Which half?”

I think it was the left half.

Are we talking Masai, Southern, Northern or Reticulated giraffe?

Which is the one responsible for coconut migration?

 

[ChasFink]

Here's a classic unit of measurement I think we missed:

Fridge-size asteroid detected just 2 hours before it slammed into Earth​

An asteroid as big as a refrigerator recently smashed into Earth's atmosphere just hours after it was first detected by astronomers. It is the fifth time that researchers have spotted one of these cosmic rocks before it hit us.

https://www.livescience.com/asteroid-discovered-before-hitting-earth

 

[Analogue Boy]

Is this a fridge with half a giraffe in it?

 

[Ogdred Weary]

On that note, have you noticed how the link to this thread reads 'Expressing Measurements Via Anal....' ?
Childish I know, but it made me laugh.

It says that on my index screen too.

I giggle, every time.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

Ridiculous.
Impossible Engineering has been using the giraffe as a unit of measurement (for height) for years.
And why only half a giraffe anyway? Is it because it rhymes?
I mean they could have said that it was as big as a horse, of course.

I once knew a giraffe who was about the same size as two half giraffes.

 

[Spookdaddy]

I once knew a giraffe who was about the same size as two half giraffes.

Yes - but are you a giraffe half empty or giraffe half full kind of person?

Oh, hold on - I'm getting mixed up with carafe again aren't I.

Carry on.

 

[Analogue Boy]

Here’s a new one.

Doug the giant vegetable so big he can wear a hat causes heartbreak for owners​

A NEW ZEALAND couple's dream of growing the world's largest potato has turned to mash after tests showed it was not in fact a spud.​

https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/1582010/new-zealand-news-doug-guinness-world-records-potato

 

[Trevp666]

Aaah yes...the "Big enough to..." and the "Small enough to..." often used as a way of describing just how big or small an item is, compared to what is capable of doing.
As in "The dog was so small that it fell through the grate of the drain cover" or the oft-quoted "The passenger was so obese that they had had to book 2 airplane seats, side by side".

A hat wearing non-potato. Very good.

 

[LymeswoldSnork]

How many giraffes make five?

A giraffe, a giraffe, and half a giraffe, a giraffe and a half, and a giraffe.

 

[Trevp666]

I think this excessive talking about giraffes is really sticking your neck out.

 

[ChasFink]

I think this excessive talking about giraffes is really sticking your neck out.

I think that joke went over most people's heads.

 

[Floyd]

It says that on my index screen too.

I giggle, every time.

It's stopped doing it! It now says 'ana'. I'll have to find something else childish to laugh at now.

 

[PeteS]

It's stopped doing it! It now says 'ana'. I'll have to find something else childish to laugh at now.

Mine too. I was reluctant to read the thread, since I've left anal jokes behind.

 

[maximus otter]

Mine too. I was reluctant to read the thread, since I've left anal jokes behind.

Fundamentally wise.

maximus otter

 

[Floyd]

It's back again! Halleluja!

 

[Krepostnoi]

Mine too. I was reluctant to read the thread, since I've left anal jokes behind.

Congratulations. This thread has begun to seem lacking in gravitas.

 

[AlienP]

Nasa scientist says complete collapse of ice shelf as big as Rome during unusually high temperatures is ‘sign of what might be coming’.​

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-conger-ice-shelf-has-collapsed-in-antarctica

Or if you prefer, roughly the size of two and a half New Yorks . . .

 

[Krepostnoi]

Nasa scientist says complete collapse of ice shelf as big as Rome during unusually high temperatures is ‘sign of what might be coming’.​

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-conger-ice-shelf-has-collapsed-in-antarctica

Or if you prefer, roughly the size of two and a half New Yorks . . .

How much is that in Waleses?

 

[AlienP]

How much is that in Waleses?

About a 16th of a Wales.

 

[Mythopoeika]

How much is that in Waleses?

Prince Harry is 1.86 m tall, so you can do the maths...

 

[ChasFink]

How much is that in Waleses?

I'm American. I need it in New Jerseys.

Anyway, I just noticed these two threads adjacent to one another on the home page:

 

[Mythopoeika]

I'm American. I need it in New Jerseys.

Anyway, I just noticed these two threads adjacent to one another on the home page:

View attachment 53451

Well spotted!

 

[Trevp666]

And 'Colossal Machines' has not disappointed.
Episode 1 was looking at Space exploration, and some of the nuggets I gleaned from it were;
The Space Shuttle engines produce a combined thrust equivalent to 53 engines from a 747 jumbo jet.
The weight of the 'crawler' that transports rockets to the launch pad is a little over 3000 metric tons, which is as much as 15 Statues of Liberty.
It also has a deck area the size of a baseball pitch.
The ISS solar panels generate enough electricity to power 40 normal houses.
The area of the solar panels is equal to about half a football field.

I quite like that they had to specify 'normal' houses. As though that itself is a necessary qualification to point out that the houses they use to measure against are in no way unusual.
"Oh...these houses? Nah mate....these are the ones they use to measure the output of the solar panels on the ISS against..."

 

[Floyd]

I'm American. I need it in New Jerseys.

Anyway, I just noticed these two threads adjacent to one another on the home page:

View attachment 53451

'Expressing measurements....' has been cracking me up for weeks.

 

[ChasFink]

'Expressing measurements....' has been cracking me up for weeks.

I see what you did there.

 

[kamalktk]

Or if you prefer, roughly the size of two and a half New Yorks . . .

How big is New York in old Yorks?