VAN LOON'S BOX

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 292, 26 January 1945, Page 5

VAN LOON'S BOX

W= have had a whole budget of letters in reply to a question by a correspondent, "Anticipation," about the possibility of packing all the people in the world into a halt-mile-square box. Here are a few: Sir.-Hendrik Van Loon was right if '"Anticipation’s"’ population figure was correct, Volume of one man, 6ft. x lft. x 144ft. = 9 c.ft. Volume of world population (1,700,000,000) = 15,300,000,000 c.ft. Volume of box, 42 mile ¥2mile 1% mile 1 1 2640ft. x 2640ft. x 2640ft. = 18,399,744,000 c.ft. Which 3,099,744,000 c.ft for packing. COMPUTER (New Plymouth). * Eo * Sir,-I think "Anticipation" has taken into account only two dimensions, i.e., he has tried to pack his people into an area half a mile square, whereas the statement means a cubical box — half a mile square and half a mile in height. The total volume of this box approximately 18,400,000,000 cubic feet, and the total volume of the world’s population reckoned on the above figures, is 15,300,000,000 cubic feet. Hence the statement » is correct-SARDINE-TIN. SAM (Lower ise * Ea Sir,-The statement that the entire world’s population could be packed into a box with half-mile sides is well on the safe side. With the dimensions of the given human being at 6ft. by 114ft. by 1ft., the volume per head is 9 cubic feet. Half a mile is 2640ft., which cubed, gives 18,399,744,000 cubic feet. This divided by 9 gives 2,044,416,000 as the number that could be packed in said box, quite an increase on the estimated population of 1,700,000,000..-_PUZZLE FAN (Ohinewai). * a * Sir,-Packed in 6ft. layers, on top of each other, such a box would hold million people more than the present population of the world. If, however, the world’s population were assembled on a square parade ground, with each person occupying a space of 114 equare feet, then this parade ground would measure 10 miles by 10 miles, with an area of 100 squares miles. Alternatively, if the parade und were circular, it would have a radius By about 6 miles, to accommodate the world’s population --THOMAS A. F. STONE, B.E., A.M.I.M.E. (Auckland). * % a Sir-I coaxed my husband into wading through the os of figures involved in the Van Loon He says that a cubical box one half mile each way would have a content of 681,472,000 cubic yards; that the cubic content of a population of 1,700,000,000 (each 6ft. x 114ft. x lft. in size) would be 566,666,666 yards, leaving a space of 114,805,334 cubic yards, or room for 344,416,002 people in our big box.-"DAIKA KATILA" (North Auckland). * * % Sir,-If each person in the world measures 6ft. by 114ft. by I1ft., then each person’s volume is 6 x 114 x 1 c.ft. = 9 e.ft. Hence the volume of the world’s total population is 9 x 1,700,000,000 c.ft. = 15,300,000,000 c.ft. The sides of a box having this volume and hence capable of containing the earth’s population could measure the cube root of 15,300,000,000-i.e., 2482ft. Now half a mile is 2640ft., hence actually a box ng less than one half a mile in either direction suffice.-""VARSITY STUDENT" (Miramar). * % te Sir-A person measuring 6ft. x 114ft. x lft. = 1-3 c.yds. If there 1,700,000,000 people, this equals 566,666,666 c.yds. of e, A box measuring half a mile in each direction, 880 x 880 x 880yds. _ contains 681, 472, 000 c.yds. Thus "Anticipation" will see that 1,700,000,000 people could be put in a box half a mile square and still leave room for 114,805,334 c.yds. of people.-A. M. WRIGHTSON (Warkworth).