This Is A Light-Nanosecond!

less than 1m read

·Nov 10, 2024

I trimmed my beard yesterday, so I'm feeling a bit like a baby today. But look at the trimmings! Specifically this one that is 2.4 fortnits worth of beard growth. How do I know? Well, because of this tool I made. This about 5 years ago to free people from the tyranny of standard units. It measures in weird units like beard fortnits, the typical length of beard grows every 2 weeks.

It's also got light pico seconds, how far light travels in a trillionth of a second. If you didn't get one 5 years ago but you're subscribed much later this year, three boxes from now you'll get one in a special Legacy box we're making. The entire ruler is exactly one light nond long. This is how far light travels in a vacuum in 1 nond.

Everything I see from this distance, I'm seeing as it was a billionth of a second ago. It's a reminder that you live in the past because light has a finite speed. You do not see things as they are; you see the universe only as it was. Also, you're going nowhere if you fall asleep tonight in the same bed you woke up in this morning. Your average velocity for the day will be zero.

The Season of Twilight | National Geographic

Getting interviewed by my interns.

View All

Escaping a Venezuelan Prison | Locked Up Abroad

Enjoy your first day release. As I walked through the doors, I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t just some crazy dream. I might actually get away with this. My stomach’s churning over, tying itself up in knots. I got on the bus. I’m praying that I’m never …

The Urge To Jump

Have you ever stood near the edge of a cliff, with only a short fence separating you from the chasm below? As you held on tightly to that fence, did you feel a sudden urge to throw yourself off the cliff? Have you ever been driving and imagined what it wo…

Financial Tips for Millennials: Part 2

The second thing is how do I save? Well, what should I put my saving in? When thinking about what you should put your saving in, realize that the least risk investment, the one you think is the least risk investment, which is cash, is the worst investmen…

Jamie Dimon's Brutally Honest Thoughts on the US Economy.

You are more pessimistic about a soft landing. Do you still think that the truth is the truth is the truth, and the truth today is pretty ugly? That there, as many of you may already know, is Jamie Dimon. He is the CEO of America’s largest bank, JP Morgan…

Digital SAT Prep for School Districts - Khan Academy Districts

Hello and welcome to driving digital SAT success with Khan Academy! As teachers and students are navigating through the new digital SAT assessment this spring, we know how important it is to ensure your students are ready for the big day. My name is Eliza…

Going 50% Bitcoin

What’s up, Graham? It’s guys here. So get this: every six months, CNBC surveys 750 millionaires to find out how and where they’re investing their money. For the first time ever, they found a rather surprising trend among Millennials. Nearly half of them h…

This Is A Light-Nanosecond!

More Articles