The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-12
Wholesale Ageust.
VASTNESS OF NUMBERS.
The Immensity ofa Billion shown by Some
Interesting Comparisons.

The Immensity ofa Billion shown by Some
Interesting Comparisons.
Although the words milliard and billion
are known by name to almost every one,
yet the significance of the numbers so eX-
pressed is by far not so distinct and fa-
miliar to many as the meanings of the
smaller numbers. For example, if the
breadth of n street is represented by
1000, 600 units, 900 900, 900 Of such
units would give distance equal to that
from Hamburg to San Francisco. If this
is not remembered, we are apt to get very
erroneous impressions, especially Of astro-
nomical phenomena. As our earth meas
ures in its greatest circumference only
about 25, 600 miles, while the planets are
distant from the earth and from each other
spaces varying from %, 200, goo to 900,
600 900 miles, accordingly most of the dis
tances which confront us on the earth are
to be regarded as vanishingly small when
compared with the distances which con
front us in the planetary system. On the
other hand, the nearest fixed stars have
distances from the earth, and consequent.
ly from any point in our planetary system
as great as from % 600, 600. 900 to 600,
000, ,O0O, 900 miles. For example, Sirius /,
SO, 900, , 900, 900 miles distant. Consequent
ly, as in the consideration of the distance,
of fixed stars, we have to deal with bill
lions, while in the case of planetary dis
tances we only deal with millions of miles
Also, all the distances of the planets from
one another must be regarded as vanish.
ingly small when compared with the dis
tapces which confront us in the realm oi
the fixed stars. In other words, vieweC
from Sirius, not only the earth or sun. but
our whole planetary system itself woulC
appear as an indefinitely faint point Of
light, exactly as Sirius appears to us as {
luminous point.
The reader will readily appreciate that
the number billion is generally conceive
too small when we tell him that billiOl
seconds have not elapsed since the origii
of the human species, reckoning the az
of humanity at 80, ,000.years. II will ais
seem hardly credible that billion new
American % cent pieces, placed one OF.
top of another, would reach an altitude Of
over ,00O. 600 miles-that is to say, would
form a cylindrical pile over four times n
high as the moon is from the earth.
The fact that the results of modern exact
science first required of language the for,
nation of names for large numbers might
lead us to believe that the people of early
time never made use of very large numer
ical statements. But this is not the case
More than 1000 years ago there lived a
people who, from pure motives Of amuse.
ment, exercised their faculties in this do.
main. In India, where our present nu-
neral system was invented, names exist
ed, even in Buddha's time, for numbers
up to 100, 900 900, 900, and Buddha him
self it is said, prosecuted the formation
of numeral names up to the number which
we now denote by l and 81 appended ci-
piers and might call nonnillons, This
strange passion of the Hindoos found fresh
material for exercise when in the fourth
century of our era the principle Of oul
present numeral system was invented 10y
Hindoo Brahman priests and the easy
methods Of computation based on this sys
tenn difIused over all India. 1t was now
| possible TO multiply with facility numbers
of go places with one another and to b
sure of the correctness of the results
Nay, in the seventh century in India arith
metical tournaments were held at which
| as now in our chess tournaments, tn
great masters of arithmetical computation
gathered together, and he was crowned a
victor who outstripped all competitors
Open Court.