There are 1011 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Feynman humorously compares astronomical numbers to economic ones to contextualize their size.
- In plain terms
- Huge numbers in space are common compared to money deficits.
- What can you take from it?
- Use familiar contexts to understand big numbers.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you make big numbers relatable?
- Why does context matter in understanding data?
Another view
Economic deficits fluctuate while astronomical counts are relatively static.
More from Richard Feynman
The wonderful thing about science is that it's alive.
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