SortStack #1665 — 2030-12-30

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 blue whale 28 m

   The largest animal ever known, its heart alone is the size of a small car and beats just a few times a minute.

3. The Leaning Tower of Pisa 58 m

   It began tilting during construction in the 1170s because of soft ground, and engineers only stabilised it in 2001.

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 English Channel (narrowest crossing) 33.8 km

   The first person to swim it, in 1875, took nearly 22 hours and slathered himself in porpoise grease for warmth.

6. The Trans-Siberian Railway (length) 9.3K km

   The longest railway on Earth, a single trip from Moscow to Vladivostok takes about seven days without stopping.

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