Clements Invitational 17-18
25
If ​you ​line ​up ​human ​rod ​cells ​(photoreceptors ​in ​your ​eye), ​how ​many ​can ​you ​fit ​if ​you start ​from ​sea ​level ​and ​travel ​down ​to ​the ​lowest ​point ​on ​earth?
9
How ​many ​carbon ​atoms ​fit ​from ​the ​distance ​from ​sea ​level ​to ​the ​highest ​point ​on earth?
17
Every ​time ​someone ​searches ​something ​on ​Google, ​Bob ​punches ​his ​friend ​Howard right ​smack ​in ​the ​gut! ​How ​much ​energy ​in ​joules ​has ​Howard's ​abdomen ​taken ​in ​over a ​century ​of ​searching? ​(Assume ​a ​constant ​searching ​rate)
16
How ​many ​tons ​of ​potassium ​ions ​is ​excreted ​from ​the ​average ​adult ​through ​urine ​in ​a day?
-6
How ​many ​internet ​users ​are ​using ​a ​VPN ​to ​access ​content ​blocked ​by ​The ​Great Firewall ​in ​China?
8
How ​many ​days ​would ​it ​take ​one ​person ​to ​shed ​enough ​skin ​cells ​(stacked ​on ​top ​of each ​other) ​to ​reach ​the ​height ​of ​the ​tallest ​building ​in ​the ​world?
0
How ​many ​milligrams ​of ​glass ​would ​you ​need ​to ​cover ​the ​entire ​surface ​of ​the ​moon ​in a ​5 ​cm ​layer ​of ​glass?
18
How ​many ​joules ​would ​you ​need ​to ​launch ​a ​one ​kilogram ​salamander ​into ​low ​Earth orbit?
7
​How ​many ​E. ​coli ​could ​grow ​from ​a ​single ​cell ​(assuming ​unlimited ​resources) ​in ​the time ​it ​takes ​for ​Mars ​to ​complete ​one ​orbit ​of ​the ​sun?
14889
How ​many ​bowls ​of ​instant ​noodles ​could ​you ​purchase ​with ​the ​total ​cost ​of ​attending UC ​Berkeley ​as ​an ​out ​of ​state ​student ​in ​2017?
6
How ​many ​megabytes ​are ​used ​in ​a ​year ​long ​video ​call ​between ​two ​mobile ​devices ​on Skype?
3
How ​many ​pounds ​of ​CO2 ​are ​created ​by ​a ​plane ​flying ​from ​Boston ​to ​Houston?
5
How ​many ​calories ​do ​I ​burn ​if ​I ​climb ​the ​Great ​Wall ​one ​stair ​at ​a ​time? ​Two ​stairs ​at ​a time?
4
How ​many ​seconds ​would ​it ​take ​to ​view ​all ​the ​snaps ​sent ​within ​the ​past ​hour?
8
What ​is ​the ​pressure ​change ​when ​a ​plane ​descends ​measured ​in ​pumps ​in ​a ​bicycle pump?
0
How ​long ​do ​three ​hamsters ​running ​on ​a ​wheel ​take ​to ​power ​a ​plane ​to ​successfully ascend?
12
How ​many ​gallons ​of ​water ​is ​needed ​to ​produce ​all ​the ​cotton ​needed ​for ​clothing production ​each ​year ​in ​the ​US?
13
Suppose ​my ​friend ​who ​really ​likes ​to ​shake ​her ​leg ​can ​convert ​the ​energy ​it ​takes ​to shake ​her ​leg ​passively ​into ​actual ​energy. ​How ​many ​hours ​would ​she ​have ​to ​shake ​her leg ​to ​produce ​the ​amount ​of ​energy ​needed ​to ​power ​a ​house ​for ​a ​year?
9
Suppose ​you ​met ​a ​person ​on ​the ​subway ​to ​the ​airport. ​What ​are ​on ​the ​chances ​that you ​are ​on ​the ​same ​flight ​and ​end ​up ​sitting ​next ​to ​each ​other?
-4
How ​many ​people ​in ​the ​US ​have ​food ​allergies?
7
How ​many ​dollars ​of ​medication ​is ​bought ​yearly ​to ​combat ​those ​allergies?
10
Suppose ​you ​visit ​Boston ​for ​a ​few ​days. ​How ​many ​people ​would ​you ​have ​to ​talk ​to ​at Harvard ​to ​find ​someone ​who ​is ​from ​the ​Houston ​area?
1
Glancing ​down ​at ​Iowa, ​how ​many ​ears ​of ​corn ​can ​you ​see ​from ​a ​plane ​hovering ​at ​the height ​of ​the ​clouds ​on ​a ​perfectly ​clear ​day?
9
How ​many ​gallons ​of ​ethanol ​is ​produced ​from ​the ​corn ​produced ​by ​the ​US ​in ​a ​year?
10
How ​many ​minutes ​would ​you ​have ​to ​run ​to ​burn ​off ​the ​splurge ​that ​you ​went ​on ​while you ​ate ​all ​the ​ice ​cream ​available ​at ​a ​grocery ​store?
8
