How many cows are required to create a stack from the the Earth to the Moon?
How much does a pile of 1, 000, 000, 000, 000 cows weigh?
How deep in cows would we be if 1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 cows rained down onto the Earth?
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
- Douglas Adams
In late 2007 I looked upon the web and saw an unserved need. Nowhere could I find a page that described how many cows it would take to create a stack from the Earth to the Moon. I was totally unable to find existing information about how deep in cows we would be if 1, 000, 000, 042 cows fell to the Earth. Where oh where was all the cow information?
Once I started to ponder these questions I realized that it wasn't just about cows. The exact same questions could be asked about hamsters! How many influenza viruses would it take to equal the weight of 42, 000, 000, 000, 000 hamsters? Maybe someone else is aware of an existing clearinghouse for this information, but I was frustrated beyond belief at this abominable state of affairs.
What would a normal person do in this situation? The answer is that they would run to the fridge to console themselves by eating some ice cream. Not I! I did indeed get some ice cream, but it was only to steady myself for the grand job ahead. With a keyboard in one hand and an ice cream scoop in the other I began the herculean task of creating the site that you see before you.
For 42 days and 42 nights I did program. With a steady supply of Mountain Dew, sausage pizza, and BBQ Lean Pockets I was able to forge the grand repository of knowledge that you now see before you.
I wish you well on your quest for knowledge. Don't forget to put the ice cream back in the freezer when you're done with it.