In order to operate with big numbers in our minds, we unconsciously use the logarithmic representation of number series. We’re ready to bet a million that it’s exactly how you imagine a sequence of numbers.
By the way, what is a million?
“A million,” someone will say, “is a number that has one zero more than one hundred thousand and one zero less than ten million.”
And why not? We judge the scale of a number by the number of zeros it has. For example, we feel that 100 is different from 1,000 in the same way as 10,000 is different from 100,000: by one zero. But these are completely different zeros.
The logarithmic scale is convenient, it keeps us from going crazy trying to imagine the real scale of numbers like a million or a billion. Yet, it distorts the real picture!
What do 2020 years really look like? What is a million? How to feel the magnitude of 10 million? How to imagine the real difference between 10 million and 100 million?
Razmerus is a website that allows to experience the scale of colossal numbers.
But that’s not all. Razmerus has two more modes: Dimensions and Distances.
The Dimensions mode will answer these questions.
How does the distance between Moscow and Paris compare to their sizes? What about between the Moon and the Earth? Or between the Earth and the Sun? Between galaxies?
The Distance mode is there to help you.
The cherry on top is that you can enter your own values and share links with your friends or audience. A great feature for popular science publications!