SortStack #3611 — 2036-04-28

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A human red blood cell 8 µm

   Your body makes around 2 million of them every second to replace the ones that wear out after roughly 120 days.

2. A mustard seed 2 mm

   Despite being tiny, mustard plants can grow taller than a person, a contrast noted in ancient parables.

3. 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.

4. A London double-decker bus 10.9 m

   The classic Routemaster's open rear platform let passengers hop on and off between stops, a hallmark of old London.

5. 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.

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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