MYTH: Alexander Bell invented the telephone.
True Story: It was an Italian-born inventor Antonio Meucci, who first designed a working machine which transmits a vocal sound through a wire. Meucci arrived in the USA in 1850 and he first demonstrated his machine in 1860, which he called teletrofono. He filed a patent caveat, a kind of provisional patent, in 1871. However he failed to renew his patent caveat in 1874 and Bell's patent was accepted in 1876.
NUMBER: 90%
90% of household dust is made up of human dead skin cells. We shed around 40kg of skin in our lifetime.
UPDATE on 2010.05.12: I am sorry, in pursuit of busting a myth, I have written a myth. The main source of the household dust is not dead skin cells. It depends largely on the season, lifestyle, outside environment and whether window is opened a lot or not etc. Dead skin cells make up only tiny part of household dust, the most of it comes from dirt and girt, which maybe many people's instinct anyway.
Showing posts with label In Numbers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Numbers. Show all posts
2010/04/13
2010/03/14
No.0003 - Brain power
MYTH: Dead person's hair and fingernails continue to grow.
True Story: They don't, however they appear to be growing as the dead body dehydrates and shrinks.
NUMBER: 20W
That's what our brain's average power is.
Our brain consumes about 20% of our energy, so our average power is equal to five 20W light bulbs or a single 100W light bulb.
Following from the last week's number, we can calculate those numbers.
Our daily recommended intake is 2000-2500 Calories.
That's roughly equal to 8400-10500kJ.
There's 86400 seconds in a (solar) day
(24hours x 60minutes x 60seconds)
That's equal to an average intake of 0.097-0.121 Joules per second, kW
i.e. about 0.1W or 100W
True Story: They don't, however they appear to be growing as the dead body dehydrates and shrinks.
NUMBER: 20W
That's what our brain's average power is.
Our brain consumes about 20% of our energy, so our average power is equal to five 20W light bulbs or a single 100W light bulb.
Following from the last week's number, we can calculate those numbers.Our daily recommended intake is 2000-2500 Calories.
That's roughly equal to 8400-10500kJ.
There's 86400 seconds in a (solar) day
(24hours x 60minutes x 60seconds)
That's equal to an average intake of 0.097-0.121 Joules per second, kW
i.e. about 0.1W or 100W
So next time someone says to you "I am short on man power" or "I need man power", then just give them a 100W light bulb. However, all these above numbers refer to an average power consumption, rather than our output, therefore diminishing man power even further.
For animals, the brain consumes far less energy as a proportion of their total energy consumption.
For animals, the brain consumes far less energy as a proportion of their total energy consumption.
2010/03/07
No.0002 - America
MYTH: America
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian merchant.
(Possible) True Story: (1) In those days, new countries and continents were not named after a forename, but always after a surname. For example, Tasmanian Island named after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer and Cooks Islands were renamed after James Cook, a British navigator.
(2) It was likely to be named after Richard Ameryk, a Welshman. Ameryk was a wealthy merchant based in Bristol, who sponsored John Cabot's second transatlantic voyage. John Cabot* was an Italian navigator, and in May 1497** he reached North America***, becoming the first recorded European to set foot in America. Ameryk would have expected Cabot's discoveries to be named after Ameryk as he was the chief patron of the voyage.
* His real name was Giovanni Caboto, but the English called him John Cabot
** Vespucci's voyage to South America was between 1499 and 1502
*** The exact location is disputed, but it was very likely to be somewhere in North-Eastern Canada of today
NUMBER: 4.184 Joules
That's what is equivalent to 1 calorie (a.k.a. small calorie and gram calorie, abbrev: cal). 1 gram calorie defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram water by 1 centigrade. The definition of kilogram calorie (a.k.a. big calorie; abbrev: Cal) is similar, just replacing kilogram with gram. Conveniently 1 kilogram calorie is equal to 1 kcal (kilocalorie), which is most often used in food energy. So 1 kcal is equal to about 4.2 kJ.
Calorie was used as a unit of energy before SI-metric units were adopted. But annoyingly somehow it stuck, especially relating to food energy, as other non-metric systems are struck, like pint and pound.
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian merchant.
(Possible) True Story: (1) In those days, new countries and continents were not named after a forename, but always after a surname. For example, Tasmanian Island named after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer and Cooks Islands were renamed after James Cook, a British navigator.
(2) It was likely to be named after Richard Ameryk, a Welshman. Ameryk was a wealthy merchant based in Bristol, who sponsored John Cabot's second transatlantic voyage. John Cabot* was an Italian navigator, and in May 1497** he reached North America***, becoming the first recorded European to set foot in America. Ameryk would have expected Cabot's discoveries to be named after Ameryk as he was the chief patron of the voyage.
* His real name was Giovanni Caboto, but the English called him John Cabot
** Vespucci's voyage to South America was between 1499 and 1502
*** The exact location is disputed, but it was very likely to be somewhere in North-Eastern Canada of today
NUMBER: 4.184 Joules
That's what is equivalent to 1 calorie (a.k.a. small calorie and gram calorie, abbrev: cal). 1 gram calorie defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram water by 1 centigrade. The definition of kilogram calorie (a.k.a. big calorie; abbrev: Cal) is similar, just replacing kilogram with gram. Conveniently 1 kilogram calorie is equal to 1 kcal (kilocalorie), which is most often used in food energy. So 1 kcal is equal to about 4.2 kJ.
Calorie was used as a unit of energy before SI-metric units were adopted. But annoyingly somehow it stuck, especially relating to food energy, as other non-metric systems are struck, like pint and pound.
2010/03/01
No.0001 - Marathon
MYTH: Marathon
Marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195km) long sporting event, commemorated to a Greek messenger Pheidippides, who run the above the distance from the battle of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia. Upon his arrival, he collapsed and died, because of the exhaustion.
True Story: (1) The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) set the standard distance of marathon at 42.195km (26 miles and 385 yards) in 1921, which was the distance used for 1908 London Olympics*. The distance used in 1908 was for the convenience of the British Royal Family, where the starting line was at Windsor Castle and finishing line was in front of the royal box in Great White City Stadium**, so Royal Family members can watch the start and the end of the event.
(2) According to a Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides was sent from Athens to Sparta to ask for help, then run back to Athens. The distance in each way is 246km (153 miles) and there is no mention of Pheidippides dying after his long journey. Since 1983, spartathlon has been organised in Greece, between Athens and Sparta.
* The distances used in 1912 and 1920 Olympics were 40.20 and 42.75km respectively. There was no Olympics in 1916 due to the World War I, which was to be held in Berlin.
** White City Stadium was closed in 1983 and demolished in 1985. Now on its site, BBC White City stands, which houses most of BBC's current affairs and factual programmes, such as Panorama and Top Gear.
Marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195km) long sporting event, commemorated to a Greek messenger Pheidippides, who run the above the distance from the battle of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia. Upon his arrival, he collapsed and died, because of the exhaustion.
True Story: (1) The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) set the standard distance of marathon at 42.195km (26 miles and 385 yards) in 1921, which was the distance used for 1908 London Olympics*. The distance used in 1908 was for the convenience of the British Royal Family, where the starting line was at Windsor Castle and finishing line was in front of the royal box in Great White City Stadium**, so Royal Family members can watch the start and the end of the event.
(2) According to a Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides was sent from Athens to Sparta to ask for help, then run back to Athens. The distance in each way is 246km (153 miles) and there is no mention of Pheidippides dying after his long journey. Since 1983, spartathlon has been organised in Greece, between Athens and Sparta.
* The distances used in 1912 and 1920 Olympics were 40.20 and 42.75km respectively. There was no Olympics in 1916 due to the World War I, which was to be held in Berlin.
** White City Stadium was closed in 1983 and demolished in 1985. Now on its site, BBC White City stands, which houses most of BBC's current affairs and factual programmes, such as Panorama and Top Gear.
NUMBER: 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds
That's how long it takes for the planet Earth to rotate around its axis of rotation. This period is known as sidereal day, while solar day refers to 24 hours-period, that we are more familiar with (86400 seconds, rather than 86164 seconds for sidereal day).
UPDATE (on 13th March 2010):
The (sidereal, I think) day has been shortened by 1.26 microseconds as a result of Chile's earthquake on 27th February 2010, which shifted the earth's axis by about 8 cm.
That's how long it takes for the planet Earth to rotate around its axis of rotation. This period is known as sidereal day, while solar day refers to 24 hours-period, that we are more familiar with (86400 seconds, rather than 86164 seconds for sidereal day).
UPDATE (on 13th March 2010):
The (sidereal, I think) day has been shortened by 1.26 microseconds as a result of Chile's earthquake on 27th February 2010, which shifted the earth's axis by about 8 cm.
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