Sunday, November 29, 2009

Cheeseburger Conversions


Yesterday was a trip to the planetarium in Schenectady and a visit to the attached museum.  The planetarium show was very nice and the museum was surprisingly interesting.  Here's what I learned at the museum - a gallon of gas contains roughly 30,000 kilocalories of energy.  This is the same kcal that we eat 500 of when we eat a big mac.  So it's pretty easy to calculate how many big macs would equal the equivalent of a gallon of gas (about 60 in this calculation).  Interestingly, the museum got it wrong in their exhibit - obviously not made by anyone with a mathematical bent!



Further, if we use about 100 kcalories by walking a mile, it would take us walking 300 miles to work off the amount of kcals in that 60 big macs or 1 gallon of gas.  So ... we humans have an mpg of 300.

The other thing I learned, but not at the museum, is that google does calculations now.  If you type in "500 x 60" in the google place, the answer comes up as your first search result.

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like a lovely time and I like your attitude!

    Lots of people deal with a city mouse vs. country mouse thing (mice are on my mind!). I can't give up my city place, but love it in the country, so back and forth I go.

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  2. Regarding this fella you are dating . . . you sound very sensible and wise. Just don't let yourself fall head over heels in love with him along the way! Sounds like there would be too much compromise involved. (Who am I? Ann Landers??)

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  3. So true! No love, no way! Can't get caught up in Mr Right-for-now ... might miss a chance at Mr Right-for-ever! Mama Pea - I so envy you and your 46 years, or is it 47?

    Kate - cats work really well for mice. They'll even travel, city -> country -> city. If you don't have any other animals, people have told me about poisons that dehydrate mice so they don't smell after they die.

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  4. Do you still do your group meeting stuff that you were doing a while ago? I'm sorry, but I've always tried to be careful about dating anyone that I'd not want to marry or be very serious with. My heart doesn't always listen to my head and sometimes it gets really hard for me to end something and it's tricky enough if you start out on the same page. I think it has something to do with that middle child syndrome and trying to keep everyone happy ...

    Kate- think its about time for me to start seeing some mice at home and at work. The weather hasn't been as cold as some years, so I think they're giving me a break...

    Mama Pea Landers- I'm with you, I think :o)

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  5. I have a dog, so I have to be careful with mouse poison. I did put some in places my dog can't reach, but it's portable (small pellets), so there is some risk. Luckily, he is a big dog.

    My dog does not kill mice. Once, I actually saw my big German shepherd stretched on the floor, looking at and nose to nose with a baby mouse who came up to explore him. My dog was alert, and did not flinch, looking right at the baby mouse which I found dead in the cellar sink a week later (or another baby mouse). In the city, a neighbor can put out poison on their property, and the mouse can die in your sink. The poison makes them look for water. Our houses are very close together.

    When I bought the country place, the seller was very upfront about mice in the house in the winter (when he didn't use it). This is my third winter and my first problem.

    I'll probably use old fashioned mouse traps next year, and put poison in their entry place in the crawl space.

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  6. Karen Sue - I need to take lessons from you on finding someone marry-able! That is ultimately what I want. Maybe I need to take a road trip in your direction! I do anticipate this current thing will peter out with the winter, and I will be spending more time with the other people. I just can't get serious about someone who doesn't like my house. When he got to the gas station 8 miles from my house, he said with obvious relief, "civilization!" Please.

    Kate - That's hilarious about your dog and mice. There aren't as many good options for mice if you have pets.

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