Comments on: All the water and air on earth gathered into spheres and compared to the Earth http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Kieran O'Neill http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141319 Kieran O'Neill Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141319 @ #22: He made the assumption that we are entirely made up of water (ie: 1g/cm^3 density). It's probably not too far out. (What is the average human density, anyway?) But, as Takuan pointed out, to make the sphere would require that we all be liquefied... @ #22: He made the assumption that we are entirely made up of water (ie: 1g/cm^3 density). It’s probably not too far out. (What is the average human density, anyway?)

But, as Takuan pointed out, to make the sphere would require that we all be liquefied…

]]> By: Haldor http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141069 Haldor Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141069 It would be interesting to see the water broken up into fresh, saline and vapor. It would be interesting to see the water broken up into fresh, saline and vapor.

]]> By: Jason http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141329 Jason Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141329 I am working on recreating this into an exhibit in Second Life, if anyone is interested in seeing the progress or helping out. IM Jeh Zon for details. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ho%20Su/234/16/23/?title=Nieman%20Spheres I am working on recreating this into an exhibit in Second Life, if anyone is interested in seeing the progress or helping out. IM Jeh Zon for details.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ho%20Su/234/16/23/?title=Nieman%20Spheres

]]> By: Jason http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141330 Jason Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141330 Also, here is a news article with more context about the image: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/03/31/ecfvos31.xml Also, here is a news article with more context about the image:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/03/31/ecfvos31.xml

]]> By: pedmands http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141331 pedmands Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141331 @ #17- The Earth being 1/3 H20 refers to the surface area. @ #17- The Earth being 1/3 H20 refers to the surface area.

]]> By: pedmands http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141332 pedmands Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141332 And it's 2/3 anyway, eh? And it’s 2/3 anyway, eh?

]]> By: Bugs http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141339 Bugs Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141339 @Patrick (22) - Nope, my victim-juicer is on the fritz today so I left all the water in the bodies. Knocking 60% off the sphere's volume by sucking out the water will only have a smallish effect on its diameter anyway. @Takuan (23) - A picture like this showing the "total meat wad" (mmm, appetising!) can't sensibly be made. You see Great Britain just above the water and air balls? The longest straight-line journey you can make in Britain (Land's End in the SE to John 'o Groats in the NW) is 945 kilometers, give or take a few diversions around the mountains. So picture a pinkish ball almost exactly one thousandth of the height of Britain, and that's what the "total meat wad" would look like. @Patrick (22) – Nope, my victim-juicer is on the fritz today so I left all the water in the bodies. Knocking 60% off the sphere’s volume by sucking out the water will only have a smallish effect on its diameter anyway.

@Takuan (23) – A picture like this showing the “total meat wad” (mmm, appetising!) can’t sensibly be made.

You see Great Britain just above the water and air balls? The longest straight-line journey you can make in Britain (Land’s End in the SE to John ‘o Groats in the NW) is 945 kilometers, give or take a few diversions around the mountains.

So picture a pinkish ball almost exactly one thousandth of the height of Britain, and that’s what the “total meat wad” would look like.

]]> By: Jardine http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141091 Jardine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141091 <i>Very cool way to show what's there. And just think how much of that fresh water is controlled by the Great Lakes states. We have gold, we just don't know it yet.</i> States? There's a province on the other side of those lakes too so don't go draining them. Maybe Paul Gross (of Due South) will make a <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0410055/">miniseries</a> about the fight over water. Very cool way to show what’s there. And just think how much of that fresh water is controlled by the Great Lakes states. We have gold, we just don’t know it yet.

States? There’s a province on the other side of those lakes too so don’t go draining them. Maybe Paul Gross (of Due South) will make a miniseries about the fight over water.

]]> By: jtf http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141095 jtf Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141095 This confuses me; I'll buy that we can pin a definite volume on the amount of water on Earth, since water is relatively incompressible, but I won't for air. Air is compressible basically until the critical point of either oxygen or nitrogen, whichever is lowest, at which point it goes supercritical. This appears to calculate the volume of the air based on weight and the density of air at atmospheric pressure. Conceivably, though, You could compress the air to the same volume as the water with no problem. This confuses me; I’ll buy that we can pin a definite volume on the amount of water on Earth, since water is relatively incompressible, but I won’t for air.

Air is compressible basically until the critical point of either oxygen or nitrogen, whichever is lowest, at which point it goes supercritical. This appears to calculate the volume of the air based on weight and the density of air at atmospheric pressure. Conceivably, though, You could compress the air to the same volume as the water with no problem.

]]> By: alison18 http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141872 alison18 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141872 Very interesting, my sister must like it! Very interesting, my sister must like it!

]]> By: littlegreenman http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141109 littlegreenman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141109 Brings it "home" doesn't it? Spaceship earth and how limited its life support supplies are. I suspect equally instructive would be if someone was to make a calculation of the useable TOPSOIL available - I'm not sure if one would want to try and split this into two piles, one for arable use, and total topsoil still "wild", or perhaps further subdivide topsoil used for arable, and that which could be used for arable, and then areas that support lots of life but don't have much in the way of "useable" (by humans) topsoil (I gather a lot of rainforests are of this nature, an intricate house of vegetative cards erected upon some pretty leached out and thin material, all recycling nutrients like mad to keep going). And then there would be the ball that makes up the topsoil being destroyed by inappropriate human activity - run off, windblown, soil structure destruction through overexploitation and chemical fertilisation that doesn't contribute humous, and so forth. Then we'd get an idea of what little of the thin skim of skin is left... If anyone can dig out a link or work on visualising this as well as the air and water it would make a very impactive graphic indeed! I wouldn't know where to start. Brings it “home” doesn’t it? Spaceship earth and how limited its life support supplies are.

I suspect equally instructive would be if someone was to make a calculation of the useable TOPSOIL available – I’m not sure if one would want to try and split this into two piles, one for arable use, and total topsoil still “wild”, or perhaps further subdivide topsoil used for arable, and that which could be used for arable, and then areas that support lots of life but don’t have much in the way of “useable” (by humans) topsoil (I gather a lot of rainforests are of this nature, an intricate house of vegetative cards erected upon some pretty leached out and thin material, all recycling nutrients like mad to keep going).

And then there would be the ball that makes up the topsoil being destroyed by inappropriate human activity – run off, windblown, soil structure destruction through overexploitation and chemical fertilisation that doesn’t contribute humous, and so forth.

Then we’d get an idea of what little of the thin skim of skin is left…

If anyone can dig out a link or work on visualising this as well as the air and water it would make a very impactive graphic indeed! I wouldn’t know where to start.

]]> By: Bugs http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141112 Bugs Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141112 I'm going to be generous in my assumptions, so the resulting ball will be bigger. I'm going to claim that my upwards error is exactly the same as the extra volume added by the packing inefficiency that's inevitable when stacking human bodies together in space. Not that I'd know, of course; my orbital death platform is entirely fictional. Honest. Asumptions: 6.7 billion humans in the world Average mass of a human is approx 65kg (Wikipedia says that the mean for the UK and USA is around 75kg; I assume most of the world is lighter than us) The mean density of a person is 1g/cm3 So humans mass a total of 6.7 billion people x 65kg/person = 4.355x10^11 kg. At 1g/cm3 this mass takes up 4.355x10^11 litres = 4.355x10^8 cubic meters. Now we plug this value into the formula linking the volume of a sphere with its radius: Volume = 4/3 * radius^3 Therefore Radius^3 = Volume / (4/3) Radius^3 = 4.355x10^8 / 1.3333333etc Radius^3 = 3.266x10^8 Radius = 688.69 meters The sphere of all living human bodies would therefore be a puny 1,377m across. That's pretty humbling. I’m going to be generous in my assumptions, so the resulting ball will be bigger. I’m going to claim that my upwards error is exactly the same as the extra volume added by the packing inefficiency that’s inevitable when stacking human bodies together in space. Not that I’d know, of course; my orbital death platform is entirely fictional. Honest.

Asumptions:
6.7 billion humans in the world
Average mass of a human is approx 65kg (Wikipedia says that the mean for the UK and USA is around 75kg; I assume most of the world is lighter than us)
The mean density of a person is 1g/cm3

So humans mass a total of 6.7 billion people x 65kg/person = 4.355×10^11 kg.

At 1g/cm3 this mass takes up 4.355×10^11 litres = 4.355×10^8 cubic meters.

Now we plug this value into the formula linking the volume of a sphere with its radius:

Volume = 4/3 * radius^3

Therefore

Radius^3 = Volume / (4/3)
Radius^3 = 4.355×10^8 / 1.3333333etc
Radius^3 = 3.266×10^8
Radius = 688.69 meters

The sphere of all living human bodies would therefore be a puny 1,377m across. That’s pretty humbling.

]]> By: angryafrican http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141113 angryafrican Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141113 Very, very good graphic to give people perspective. Thanks. Very, very good graphic to give people perspective. Thanks.

]]> By: notconvinced http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-155450 notconvinced Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-155450 Perhaps for some real perspective, a ball of the surface area that we actually affect could be shown. Since we don't live in the center of the earth, it is likely that the area we do affect is proportionate to the balls of water and gas(air). To show it next to the whole globe is misrepresentation at best, scare tactics at it's worst. Maybe someone could post a before and after "earth hour farce" satellite picture of the darkside of earth. It would be just as educational......... Perhaps for some real perspective, a ball of the surface area that we actually affect could be shown. Since we don’t live in the center of the earth, it is likely that the area we do affect is proportionate to the balls of water and gas(air).
To show it next to the whole globe is misrepresentation at best, scare tactics at it’s worst. Maybe someone could post a before and after “earth hour farce” satellite picture of the darkside of earth. It would be just as educational………

]]> By: Bugs http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141121 Bugs Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141121 The more astute will have noticed that I forgot to include pi in the calculation. What can I say, it's been an extremely long day. The last lines should of course read: adius^3 = Volume / ( (4/3) *pi) Radius^3 = 4.355x10^8 / (1.3333333 x pi) Radius^3 = 1.0397x10^8 Radius = 470.21 meters Diameter = 940.43 meters The more astute will have noticed that I forgot to include pi in the calculation. What can I say, it’s been an extremely long day.

The last lines should of course read:

adius^3 = Volume / ( (4/3) *pi)
Radius^3 = 4.355×10^8 / (1.3333333 x pi)
Radius^3 = 1.0397×10^8
Radius = 470.21 meters

Diameter = 940.43 meters

]]> By: Jeff http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141635 Jeff Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141635 Jardine, I shouldn't have left out Canada, of course. And I hope Canada pushes as hard as it can to ensure water conservation. Michigan gives its water away to Ice Mountain, bottled water. The price of bottled water is more than Oil, and yet the State of Michigan is taxing it as if it were almost without value! STUPID STATE! That's right, Michigan is run by a bunch of idiots. Jardine, I shouldn’t have left out Canada, of course. And I hope Canada pushes as hard as it can to ensure water conservation. Michigan gives its water away to Ice Mountain, bottled water. The price of bottled water is more than Oil, and yet the State of Michigan is taxing it as if it were almost without value! STUPID STATE! That’s right, Michigan is run by a bunch of idiots.

]]> By: Dav http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141642 Dav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141642 It just needs a ball of fire. It just needs a ball of fire.

]]> By: djam http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141390 djam Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141390 the water marbal seems a little small considering how deep the oceans are. the water marbal seems a little small considering how deep the oceans are.

]]> By: ill lich http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141137 ill lich Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141137 So it's agreed-- that graphic is "da balls." So it’s agreed– that graphic is “da balls.”

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141398 Jake0748 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141398 I don't think the oceans are all that deep relative to the diameter of the Earth. What's the average ocean depth? Anybody? I don’t think the oceans are all that deep relative to the diameter of the Earth. What’s the average ocean depth? Anybody?

]]> By: Bugs http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141923 Bugs Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141923 @ MPB (40) It's comparing volume with volume: the total volume of the Earth's water or atmosphere (assuming it's kept at a constant pressure of 1 bar) compared with the total volume of the land. The calculations I did were to work out the total volume of all the world's living humans, then the diameter of the sphere you could make this volume into. All bunched into a sphere our species is far, far too small to be seen on the image. Surface areas don't enter into the calculations. However, because all of the volumes are formed into spheres their surface areas are of course in proportion. @ MPB (40)

It’s comparing volume with volume: the total volume of the Earth’s water or atmosphere (assuming it’s kept at a constant pressure of 1 bar) compared with the total volume of the land.

The calculations I did were to work out the total volume of all the world’s living humans, then the diameter of the sphere you could make this volume into. All bunched into a sphere our species is far, far too small to be seen on the image.

Surface areas don’t enter into the calculations. However, because all of the volumes are formed into spheres their surface areas are of course in proportion.

]]> By: Jason http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141416 Jason Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141416 <a href="http://encarta.msn.com/media_461547746/The_World's_Oceans_and_Seas.html">Average ocean depth</a> Average ocean depth

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141433 Jake0748 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141433 @Jason Encarta, really?? Bleccchh. What are their sources? When was the article written (since I'm not a Premium Subscriber)? Even if you take that table as true, and for ease of calculation, assume that the average depth of ALL the oceans is the deepest mentioned i.e. 14000 feet (sorry metric users)... my original point is that the oceans aren't that deep compared with the diameter of the earth. OK, I'll shut up now. @Jason Encarta, really?? Bleccchh. What are their sources? When was the article written (since I’m not a Premium Subscriber)? Even if you take that table as true, and for ease of calculation, assume that the average depth of ALL the oceans is the deepest mentioned i.e. 14000 feet (sorry metric users)… my original point is that the oceans aren’t that deep compared with the diameter of the earth. OK, I’ll shut up now.

]]> By: Everbody http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141442 Everbody Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141442 Buckminster Fuller said if we shrink the earth down to a 12" diameter steel ball and chill it, the condensation from your breath would be the depth of the oceans. Another interesting fact, Lake Tahoe holds a volume of 151 km³. With one dispersion of Lake Tahoe's water, the State of California would be completely covered to a depth of 14.5 inches. Buckminster Fuller said if we shrink the earth down to a 12″ diameter steel ball and chill it, the condensation from your breath would be the depth of the oceans.

Another interesting fact, Lake Tahoe holds a volume of 151 km³. With one dispersion of Lake Tahoe’s water, the State of California would be completely covered to a depth of 14.5 inches.

]]> By: Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141447 Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141447 Everybody: And they'd do it if they could. Everybody: And they’d do it if they could.

]]> By: Chorske http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141194 Chorske Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141194 Here is an interesting stat: the atmosphere only ever contains enough water for about two weeks' worth of rain. If surface evaporation were to stop tomorrow, there would be no more rain after two weeks. Up until I heard that stat, I figured the atmosphere had huge amounts of water, but really, depending on where you are, it only contains 1-4% water vapour. Is it just me or are there a ton of news items about water these days? Here is an interesting stat: the atmosphere only ever contains enough water for about two weeks’ worth of rain. If surface evaporation were to stop tomorrow, there would be no more rain after two weeks.

Up until I heard that stat, I figured the atmosphere had huge amounts of water, but really, depending on where you are, it only contains 1-4% water vapour.

Is it just me or are there a ton of news items about water these days?

]]> By: David Carroll http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141210 David Carroll Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141210 I would guess the ball of air is opaque because if was clear, you couldn't see it, making for a lousy graphic. Second possibility is that the ball includes air from USA and China, cough cough. I am surprised that no one picked on the fact that if all of the air was collected into a ball, the oceans would be gone. So the ocean areas of the right globe would be grey too. JTF (#8) Chemists usually use "Standard Pressure" when they collects the entire earth atmosphere into a ball. Bugs (#10) My I suggest you use a blender? I would guess the ball of air is opaque because if was clear, you couldn’t see it, making for a lousy graphic. Second possibility is that the ball includes air from USA and China, cough cough.

I am surprised that no one picked on the fact that if all of the air was collected into a ball, the oceans would be gone. So the ocean areas of the right globe would be grey too.

JTF (#8) Chemists usually use “Standard Pressure” when they collects the entire earth atmosphere into a ball.

Bugs (#10) My I suggest you use a blender?

]]> By: dculberson http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141216 dculberson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141216 JTF, the quote does specifically say "at sea-level density" which means the pressure is specified. As per Wikipedia: "Average sea-level pressure is 101.325 kPa (1013.25 mbar) or 29.921 inches of mercury (inHg) or 760 millimeters (mmHg)." JTF, the quote does specifically say “at sea-level density” which means the pressure is specified. As per Wikipedia:

“Average sea-level pressure is 101.325 kPa (1013.25 mbar) or 29.921 inches of mercury (inHg) or 760 millimeters (mmHg).”

]]> By: Maurik http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141218 Maurik Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141218 Well at least <i>now</i> I know where to send those that tell me the earth is 1/3rd water! Well at least now I know where to send those that tell me the earth is 1/3rd water!

]]> By: Jake0748 http://boingboing.net/2008/03/11/all-the-water-and-ai.html#comment-141475 Jake0748 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-141475 Teresa, I wouldn't do it! Geez, how small would my apartment be then? Where would I put all my stuff? Teresa, I wouldn’t do it! Geez, how small would my apartment be then? Where would I put all my stuff?

]]>