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From: kaufman@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: The Mr. Billions Show
Message-ID: <10600184@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Nov-84 15:56:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.10600184
Posted: Tue Nov 27 15:56:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 02:44:37 EST
Lines: 23
Nf-ID: #N:uiucdcs:10600184:000:960
Nf-From: uiucdcs!kaufman    Nov 27 14:56:00 1984

[If a billion bugs can eat a billion lines in a billion days, ...]

How about:  A billion seconds is about 32 years.

Or:         A billion millimeters is about 625 miles  (distance between New
              York and Detroit?)


Given the impending (?) conversion to metric, I and some friends have proposed
the sagan as a metric unit of amount.  Its value in the English system would
be billions and billions.  Examples of its use would be:

McDonalds - Over 1 sagan served.
A microsagan of people attended the rock festival.
Half a millisagan [millions as opposed to millions and millions] of Americans
     had decided on for whom they would vote before the first debate.
A prominent astronomer estimates that there are 4 sagan [billions and billions
     and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and
     billions] stars in the sky.

Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)
--why did I leave my address?  Fewer than a nanosagan will respond!