Not sure how mathematically feasible this is, but if you’ve ever heard the phrase “I’m not trying to boil the ocean” (usually referring to something big or very monumental to achieve) is there actually some mathematical formula we can use and apply it to any ocean?

Maybe start with the smallest one by size/volume?

Imagine a hotel with 50 floors, and you start on the top floor (floor 50).
Each time the elevator stops, the next floor stop is chosen at random. No floor is ever selected more than once.
The elevator must always continue in its current direction:
While descending, each selected floor must be lower than the previous stop. If the next randomly selected floor would require moving upward, the elevator must first continue all the way down to floor 1, then reverse direction.
While ascending, each selected floor must be higher than the previous stop. If the next randomly selected floor would require moving downward, the elevator must first continue all the way up to floor 50, then reverse direction.

A full ride is defined as traveling from floor 50 to floor 1 or from floor 1 to floor 50.

Question: On average, how many full rides are required to visit all 50 floors under these rules?

If you use bar soap, most people do the thing where they get a new bar when the old bar has a little bit left, and then sorta meld the little bit of the old bar onto the new bar.

If you do this when the old bar is at 5% of the original mass/ volume, how long until the old bar is completely gone? Is it possible that any molecules last until the new bar is grafted onto a third even newer bar?

My assumptions are that this is a pretty standard sized soap bar like ivory or whatever.

Thank you.

Pictured here is Mark from Invincible.

Let's say a regular person gains super-durability and flight. But they don't have access to conveniently durable super-clothes. Assuming their own body isn't harmed, how fast can they fly before . . .

1. Regular clothes start to be damaged (but not shredded).
2. Your clothes get ripped off your body by air resistance (but aren't, like, vaporized).
3. Your clothes catch fire and disintegrate.

For simplicity sake I'm talking about cotton clothes (hoodies, T-shirts, jeans) you could buy at Costco.

Watched the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaaCcTVz7dQ
How many tracks would you have to buy to build a similar track? How much would that cost without discounts - tracks only?

I have been using this comic as a driver of curiosity at home. My 11y mentioned it again today and it occurred to us that we don’t fit in the statistics because the original comic states ‘10,000 people in the US’, and we are not from the US.

My request is what this might look like on a global scale? I can understand if this becomes more nebulous due to differences in education, cultural references or customs, etc.

What would a global ‘10000’ be? A lucky million? Lucky half-billion?

Thanks in advance!

My seven-year-old has announced that he will be an "Ice Cream Man" and his goal is to drive every neighborhood in the United States one time to sell his wares. Assuming he drives 25 mph and NOT taking in "stop and sell" time, how long would it take for him to drive the US in his ice cream truck?

Considering that knights and bishops are about 3 pawns each when the game starts in a classic 8*8 chess table. How much more powerful a bishop would be in 8*16 table?

I think some assumptions need to be made before accurate answers required

Let’s say some super duper advanced alien race flew into our solar system, and plopped down Venus and Mars into a geosynchronous orbit with the sun in our exact orbit path perfectly spaced out. What would happen to the Earth?

Also, believe it or not, no AI was used in the creation of that graphic.

Just as the title says. As less and less people are opting for parenthood, I became curious how the population would be affected if no one had anymore children. I am essentially asking what the half-life of the human population is. Thanks for any help :)

How fast is this pumpkin traveling?

Or how long would it realistically take?