SortStack #2547 — 2033-05-30

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A single E. coli bacterium 2 µm

   About 2 micrometres long, E. coli divides every 20 minutes, so one cell can become billions inside a single day.

2. A television remote control 14 cm

   Most remotes talk to the TV with invisible infrared light, the same band of energy you feel as warmth.

3. A standard house brick 22.5 cm

   Fired clay bricks have been made the same basic way for over 5,000 years, outlasting the empires that baked them.

4. The Washington Monument 165 m

   Look closely and the stone changes shade partway up, marking where construction paused for over 20 years.

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 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.

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