I was shaken when I visualized 'huge numbers'. From a 1cm cube to the edge of the universe
[PR]
Hello, I'm Nagi🐕✨
We live surrounded by vast numbers every day.
Things like "the world population has exceeded 8 billion" or "a budget of trillions of yen." But, honestly, don't you ever feel like the numbers are so large that they don't really sink in? Even if we can understand numbers as symbols, it's hard to feel their true scale in our bones.
How small a being I am, or how vast this world is.
When we can't grasp these realities, our hearts can feel a bit restless and unmoored.
In the midst of this, I encountered a "visual adventure." It is a story that builds up huge numbers, starting with a tiny 1cm cube as "1".
😵 The madness of huge numbers 😮 3D size comparison from 1 to infinity
MetaBallStudios
1. 10^11500 The end of the 'everyday' we can reach
It starts with a small 1cm³ cube that you can place on your desk.
This is "1." It's quite cute, isn't it?
But as you start stacking them, the scenery changes instantly.
For example, the number of English Wikipedia articles is 7.1 million. If you turn this into cubes, it no longer fits in a personal room. Furthermore, if you stack the estimated number of casualties in World War II, which is 80 million, a massive building-like block appears in the city.
And then, the estimated world population in 2024, which is 8.019 billion.
This cube transforms into a colossal structure that pierces the clouds and is visible from space.
( Nagi's positive remark: If there were 8 billion dice, I wonder how many years it would take to finish a board game!🐕🎲)
2. The world of 'Fukasetsufukasetsuten' that fills the universe
Let's continue our journey through numbers.
The estimated number of atoms that make up our bodies is 7×10^27 (7 octillion).
From around here, the cube swallows the Earth and swells to a size that makes even the solar system look small.
And then, the legendary huge number, googol (10^100).
This number, which is a 1 followed by 100 zeros, is difficult just to write out, but when visualized, the cubes fill the entire observable universe and still overflow.
When it comes to the Shannon number (10^120), which is the number of possible combinations of chess moves, we enter a realm where our imagination screams, realizing that "even having multiple universes wouldn't be enough."
( Term explanation: Observable universe: The part of the universe from which light can reach Earth. It is said to be about 93 billion light-years in diameter, but from the perspective of huge numbers, it's just a space like a 'grain of sand'🐕🌌)
3. The far north of mathematics. 'Graham's number' and 'Rayo's number' that transcend even myths
However, even these are trivial in the face of the true 'kings of large numbers'.
Graham's number and TREE(3). These are so large that they cannot even be expressed in standard exponential notation (powers of 10).
Waiting at the end is Rayo's number.
Defined in 2007, this number is an existence that transcends the limits of logic, to the point where even the expression of stacking them in cubes seems meaningless.
When I witnessed this overwhelming scale, I felt a strange quiet happiness.
It was because I realized that our worries, and the delicious snacks we ate yesterday, are all equally precious 'fleeting lights' in this magnificent sea of mathematics.
（Nagi check：If you research large numbers too much, there is a downside where your brain gets a 'wisdom fever' and you can't even decide on a menu for 'tonight's dinner'. Please observe the recommended dosage🐕💦）
Epilogue: The universe in the palm of your hand
When I finish the adventure and look at my hand, only a 1cm cube remains there.
This is the very beginning of everything.
No matter how vast the universe is or how huge the numbers are, the place where we stand is this certain place called '1'. Just by knowing its weight, I feel the world looks a little more gentle and vivid.
Tonight, let's drift off to sleep while thinking about things that are too large to be seen.
Nagi's summary
Numbers are not just symbols. They are a map that tells us the extent of the world we live in.
If you ever feel your worries are too big and you can't move, try remembering this 'large number cube'. You will surely find a new perspective🐕✨
Today's items, services, and topics
Book: Simon Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem'
It's not a large number, but it's the story of men who staked their lives on numbers. If you want to know the dramatic side of mathematics, there is no better book than this.Gadget: Casio 'Scientific Calculator'
Exponential calculations are a breeze. If you try calculating large numbers yourself, you can understand their terror and beauty more deeply.Topics:YouTube channel 'MetaBallStudios'
The source of inspiration for this visualization. They depict size comparisons of various things cinematically, and I find myself losing track of time watching them.
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