What Is A Billion???

[conlor]

Here is something to tax your Grey Cells!!!

What Is A Billion?

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

d. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

[Anth]

Ah, but which billion are we using?

American (and apparently current British) billion is 1,000,000,000 (1 thousand million).

Older British and Asian billion (and the one I still use!) is 1,000,000,000,000 (1 million million).

[Snowden]

Originally Posted by Anth

Ah, but which billion are we using?

American (and apparently current British) billion is 1,000,000,000 (1 thousand million).

Older British and Asian billion (and the one I still use!) is 1,000,000,000,000 (1 million million).

That's interesting, Anth! I had no idea our ideas of a billion were different. I wonder which the banks use.

[BrianK]

Really mind boggling is the thought that a billon dollars is pocket change for Bill Gates & some others.

That much money has to take some of the excitement out of life.

Being comfortable is one thing, having NO financial worries at all might get boring. As bad as that might be I'm willing to test my theory.

[conlor]

PLEASE! Bore me!!!!!