- cross-posted to:
- funny@sh.itjust.works
- cross-posted to:
- funny@sh.itjust.works
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Provided the world produced as much grain as in 2022, it would take ~seven centuries to fill the board.
maths
- 2⁰+2¹+2²+[…]+2⁶³ = 2⁶⁴-1 ≃ 2⁶⁴ = 1.84*10¹⁹ grains
- A grain of rice weights 0.029g on average
- (1.84*10¹⁹)*0.029g = 5.35*10¹⁷g = 5.35*10¹¹t
- global rice production in 2022 was 776 461 457t, or 7.76*10⁸t
- 5.35*10¹¹t / 7.76*10⁸t/year = 689 years
It could be worse, I guess. At least it’s ten orders of magnitude lower than the mass of Earth. Now, if you were to use a go board…
Hi! I don’t know. I see the rice is being doubled on each square, but idk what this is referencing.
It’s an old story from the middle east (maybe part of the a thousand and one nights story?), I think, about a king who granted a favor to someone, only requiring that it be small. The philosopher/farmer/common-man hero had the humble request of filling a chess board with grains of rice, starting with one on the first tile, but doubling each time. Some variants, you’ll hear it as a gold coin. Anyone who does the math in their head, that’s 2^63 on the last tile, plus all the others (so 2^64-1), which is more grains of rice than probably exist, maybe more than ever have existed (1.84e19).
Hmm, now I’m curious… but I see lvxferre has already done the math.
Thank you!
1 doubled 64 times is over 18 quintillion. 19 zeroes.
Forgive the tiktok-ess title
*esque
Actually meant to write ass
I’m just glad you didn’t say ahh instead of ass.
Hate that
That in the story the ruler had the creator executed because he tried to be a smartass?
In the latter case, only if they’re the ones on the receiving end. And even then, the collapse of the global economy might present a problem. After all, everyone will be coming for their rice, guns in hand.
