I wonder if the general public actually find these comparisons useful or is it just that journalists like to use them? Have we really reached the state where people can’t visualise something that is 10 m (or let’s say 40 ft) across? By all means use units that people are familiar with but I do wonder whether these comparisons are useful or even meaningful. I once saw the speed of the space shuttle in orbit described as 22 times the speed of sound. Discuss.
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