SortStack #1539 — 2030-08-26

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A standard paperclip 3.2 cm

   The familiar looped design, called the Gem clip, was never patented and has barely changed in over a century.

2. A wooden utility pole 18.5 m

   Most are pressure-treated with preservatives so they can stand outdoors for 40 years or more without rotting.

3. The International Space Station 109 m

   Orbiting Earth roughly every 90 minutes, its crew sees about 16 sunrises and sunsets every single day.

4. The Gateway Arch, St. Louis 195 m

   Its elegant curve is a catenary, the exact shape a hanging chain makes, flipped upside down for strength.

5. The Brooklyn Bridge (total length) 1.8 km

   When it opened in 1883, a stampede fearing collapse killed twelve people; a circus later marched elephants across to prove its strength.

6. The Panama Canal 85 km

   Ships are lifted 26 metres above sea level by locks, then lowered again, crossing a continent without touching the ocean between.

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