Editing 2283: Exa-Exabyte
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | This | + | {{incomplete|Created by 10 EXA-EXABYTES OF APPLES. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
| + | This is Randall's first comic in over a week not overtly part of his [[:Category: COVID-19|COVID-19 series]]. It could still be a deliberate allusion to the biology and complexity behind the Coronavirus outbreak, or, if not a deliberate allusion, its theme of biological complexity could have been inspired thereby. | ||
| − | This is a comic about the difficulty of picturing or understanding large numbers. As mentioned in the comic, an {{w|exabyte}} is 10<sup>18</sup> bytes, while an "exa-exabyte"—not a common word, but one that | + | This is a comic about the difficulty of picturing or understanding large numbers. As mentioned in the comic, an {{w|exabyte}} is 10<sup>18</sup> bytes, while an "exa-exabyte"—not a common word, but one that makes sense if you apply the principles of {{w|metric prefix}}es—is 10<sup>36</sup> bytes. 10<sup>36</sup> is properly given the name undecillion (in short scale, and sextillion in long scale). |
According to [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/science/counting-all-the-dna-on-earth.html a 2015 article] by ''The New York Times'', researchers estimate that there are about 5 * 10<sup>37</sup> DNA {{w|base pair}}s on Earth (50 trillion trillion trillion). So [[Miss Lenhart]]'s claim of 10 exa-exabytes—1 * 10<sup>37</sup> bytes is a reasonable approximation ({{w|Fermi estimation}}). (The estimate was 5 plus or minus 4 * 10<sup>37</sup>. There are 4 possible base pairs, or 2 bits per pair, a byte is 8 bits.) | According to [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/science/counting-all-the-dna-on-earth.html a 2015 article] by ''The New York Times'', researchers estimate that there are about 5 * 10<sup>37</sup> DNA {{w|base pair}}s on Earth (50 trillion trillion trillion). So [[Miss Lenhart]]'s claim of 10 exa-exabytes—1 * 10<sup>37</sup> bytes is a reasonable approximation ({{w|Fermi estimation}}). (The estimate was 5 plus or minus 4 * 10<sup>37</sup>. There are 4 possible base pairs, or 2 bits per pair, a byte is 8 bits.) | ||
| − | These numbers are larger than most people can imagine. Even much smaller numbers such as a billion (10<sup>9</sup>) or a trillion (10<sup>12</sup>) are | + | These numbers are larger than most people can imagine. Even much smaller numbers such as a billion (10<sup>9</sup>) or a trillion (10<sup>12</sup>) are hard to imagine.{{Citation needed}} For instance: |
* 1 billion seconds is equal to 31.7 years; 1 trillion seconds is equal to 31,688.74 years. | * 1 billion seconds is equal to 31.7 years; 1 trillion seconds is equal to 31,688.74 years. | ||
* [https://medium.com/@alecmuffett/a-billion-grains-of-rice-91202220e10e 1 billion grains of rice] weigh approximately 34,447 lb (15,625 kg). | * [https://medium.com/@alecmuffett/a-billion-grains-of-rice-91202220e10e 1 billion grains of rice] weigh approximately 34,447 lb (15,625 kg). | ||
| − | Wikipedia has an article on the {{w|exabyte}} and one on large numbers which describes {{w|Orders of magnitude (numbers)#1018|various things close to 10<sup>18</sup>}}. | + | Wikipedia has an article on the {{w|exabyte}} and one on large numbers which describes {{w|Orders of magnitude (numbers)#1018|various things close to 10<sup>18</sup>}}. |
| − | + | [https://abc7news.com/science/possibly-habitable-planet-found-100-light-years-away/5821548/ TOI 700 d], a potentially habitable Earth-like {{w|exoplanet}} is 100 light years away, which is about 10<sup>18</sup> meters. | |
[[Cueball]] expresses his difficulty in visualizing a number even as large as ''one'' exabyte (10<sup>18</sup> bytes). | [[Cueball]] expresses his difficulty in visualizing a number even as large as ''one'' exabyte (10<sup>18</sup> bytes). | ||
| − | [[Megan]] trivializes the problem away by describing an exabyte as 10 apples, with "18 smaller apples, floating next to them and a little above", representing the notation 10<sup>18</sup> using apples for digits. This is entirely unhelpful, as using apples in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unary_numeral_system base-1] enumeration offers no obvious advantages over base-10 in understanding exponents; Megan's bad advice | + | [[Megan]] trivializes the problem away by describing an exabyte as 10 apples, with "18 smaller apples, floating next to them and a little above", representing the notation 10<sup>18</sup> using apples for digits. This is entirely unhelpful, as using apples in a [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unary_numeral_system base-1] enumeration offers no obvious advantages over base-10 in understanding exponents; Megan's bad advice & Cueball's seemingly ready acceptance of it causes Miss Lenhart to yell out "No!" in frustration. |
The title text further trivializes the problem of visualizing large numbers by suggesting that you can visualize 10<sup>18</sup> as a number by simply visualizing the similar-looking number of 10<sup>13</sup> with some extra lines drawn to turn the 3 into an 8. Changes in exponents can cause huge changes in the value shown, and this is no exception: Changing that 3 into an 8 changes the value by a factor of 100,000. | The title text further trivializes the problem of visualizing large numbers by suggesting that you can visualize 10<sup>18</sup> as a number by simply visualizing the similar-looking number of 10<sup>13</sup> with some extra lines drawn to turn the 3 into an 8. Changes in exponents can cause huge changes in the value shown, and this is no exception: Changing that 3 into an 8 changes the value by a factor of 100,000. | ||
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:Miss Lenhart: '''''No!''''' | :Miss Lenhart: '''''No!''''' | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category: Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]] | [[Category: Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]] | ||
[[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]] | [[Category: Comics featuring Megan]] | ||
[[Category: Biology]] | [[Category: Biology]] | ||
