When we think of units of measurement, we usually think of meters, kilometers, hours, seconds, liters, grams, and other common units. But there are many other, less common, yet still used units of measurement. Some units of measurement, like the Popsicle Index or the Big Mac Index, are more like food items than actual units of measurement. Here are ten such strange units of measurement that you won't believe exist.
1. Eskimo Index
It's a quality of life indicator based on the percentage of parents who believe their child can leave the house alone, go to the nearest store for ice cream, and return safely.
Global financial systems impact human well-being and quality of life. The "Eskimo Index" is a metric that reflects how people assess their quality of life. The Eskimo Index is based on the intuition of people with intimate knowledge of their local area, rather than on facts and figures. For example, if you believe that 50% of your neighbors believe a child in your neighborhood can safely go out and buy an Eskimo on their own, then your Eskimo Index is 50%. The goal of the Eskimo Index is to stimulate ongoing dialogue and learning in every neighborhood and village on Earth about what it means to feel safe and secure where you live and work. It also measures how physically free we feel to roam and walk without fear. (1,2)
2. Big Mac Index
It is a way of measuring the purchasing power parity of two currencies and allows one to check the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries.
The Big Mac Index was created The Economist magazine In September 2008, the index was created to display currency exchange rates between countries. It was introduced by Pam Woodall and was named after the Big Mac, a hamburger sold in McDonald's restaurants. The Big Mac was chosen because it is available in a uniform format in many countries, allowing the index to compare currencies across multiple countries.
The purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rate for a Big Mac between two countries is calculated by dividing the price of a Big Mac in one country by the price of a Big Mac in the other. This value is then compared to the actual exchange rate. If the value is lower, the first currency is undervalued relative to the second. However, if it is higher, the first currency is overvalued. (source)
3. Complete waste of money
It is a medieval unit of wine measurement equivalent to 126 gallons.
«A "butt cask" is an actual unit of measurement for wine. In the old days, the unit of measurement for wine (or whiskey) barrels was the word "butt." So, if you fill a barrel to the top, you technically have a "butt cask" of wine. This term is still used in wineries and distilleries. Its origins stem from the medieval French and Italian word "butt."» botte »" In Italy «"botte »" is still used to refer to a wine barrel.
According to the Macallan distillery, a cask of whisky contains 108 imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 1.2 US gallons). Half of a cask, 54 gallons, is called a "hogshead.". (source)
4. Mickey
One "mickey" is defined as the smallest resolvable unit of distance for a given computer mouse input device.
The term "mickey," named after the Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse, is used to describe the travel distance of a computer mouse. The original Microsoft Mouse Programmer's Reference (© 1986) states that a "mickey" is "approximately 1/200th of an inch.". (source)
5. Vague
This is the unit of length used to measure the length of the Harvard Bridge.
«A "smoot" is defined as the height of Oliver R. Smoot in 1958. It is a humorous unit of length, coined as part of a fraternity prank at MIT. In October 1958, Oliver R. Smoot repeatedly lay on the Harvard Bridge so his fellow students could use his height to measure the bridge's length. The bridge was measured to be 364.4 smoots (2,035 feet; 620.1 m), plus or minus one ear. This number is now set in stone by Smoot College alumni. Generally, one smoot is equal to 1.7018 m. (source)
6. Barn
An ambar is a unit of area used to quantify the scattering or absorption cross-section of very small particles such as atomic nuclei.
In nuclear physics, the term "barn" is used to denote the cross-sectional area of nuclei and nuclear reactions. One barn is approximately equal to the cross-sectional area of a uranium nucleus. One barn equals 10−28 m2.
The term originated during World War II. At the time, American physicists at Purdue University were working on the Manhattan Project and atomic bomb research. They needed a secret unit of measurement to describe the approximate cross-sectional area of a typical nucleus (10⁻²⁸ m²), and they chose the word "barn.". (source)
7. Jiffy
It is a unit of time used in computer operating systems that represents the time interval between system timer interrupts.
«A "jiffy" is the time interval between two system timer interrupts. This interval varies from system to system. For different Linux versions and platforms, the jiffy value typically ranges from one to ten milliseconds.
The term "jiffy" is sometimes used in computer animation as a way of referring to the speed of playback. (source)
8. Shake
In nuclear physics, the term "shake" refers to the approximate time required to generate one charge in a nuclear chain reaction.
«A "shake" is an unofficial unit of time expressing the synchronization of various events in a nuclear explosion. One shake is equal to ten nanoseconds, or 10⁻⁸ seconds. The typical time required for one stage of a chain reaction is on the order of one shake. A chain reaction is usually completed in 50–100 shakes.
The expression "unit shake" originates from the top-secret operations of the Manhattan Project during World War II. It's derived from the expression "two shakes of a lamb's tail" or, in the Southern United States, "three shakes of a billy-goat's tail." These expressions denote a very short period of time. (source)
9. Warhol
«"Warhol" symbolizes the duration of fame or hype, that is, 15 minutes of fame.
The Warhol unit of measurement comes from Andy Warhol's quote: "Everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes." It represents 15 minutes of fame and was first used by Cullen Murphy in 1997.
Based on this device, the "Warhol worm" was created, capable of infecting all vulnerable computers on the entire Internet in 15 minutes or less. (source)
10. Hundred-Cent Pawn
In chess programs, this is used as a unit of measurement of the strength of each player's position in a given situation.
«A centipawn is a unit of measurement used in chess to measure an advantage. A centipawn is equal to 1/100 of a pawn. In computer chess, it is used to evaluate positions. A centipawn indicates how much one player is superior to the other and how strong a possible move might be.
The most common scoring options are listed below:
- The queen is worth 900 centipawns.
- Each rook costs 500 centipawns.
- Each horse costs 300 centipes.
- Each elephant costs 300 centipawns.
- Each pawn is worth 100 centipawns. (source)