From the blog: The USPS says this small Priority Mail box has a maximum allowed weight of 70 pounds. But is it physically possible to put 70 pounds of *anything* inside it? (spoiler: Nope, at least not in this solar system) groverlab.org/hnbfpr/2024-... 🧪⚗️ #SciEd - ThreadSky

wgrover.bsky.social • 28 days ago

From the blog: The USPS says this small Priority Mail box has a maximum allowed weight of 70 pounds. But is it physically possible to put 70 pounds of *anything* inside it?

(spoiler: Nope, at least not in this solar system)

https://groverlab.org/hnbfpr/2024-06-10-priority-mail.html

🧪⚗️ #SciEd

Comments

helbird.bsky.social•28 days ago

You can easily fit 70£ in there…😬

grimmrad.bsky.social•28 days ago

Uranium?

wgrover.bsky.social•28 days ago

Nope, a uranium-filled box would be "only" about 51 pounds.

grimmrad.bsky.social•28 days ago

Oganesson then - if you are really fast and have a reliable production method (given the amount produced so far it is maybe more a theoretical one - a VERY theoretical one).

wgrover.bsky.social•28 days ago

This says just 7.2 g/mL predicted for Oganesson? Less than I would have guessed... But anyway, yeah, if I can't currently get my hands on a box-full's worth somewhere in the universe, then it's probably ineligible for this application...

grimmrad.bsky.social•28 days ago

Well, they made so far 5 atoms, so might be a bit of a wait there.

grimmrad.bsky.social•28 days ago

Plutonium then?

drjohndesmarteau.bsky.social•28 days ago

With Osmium at density of 22.59 grams per cubic centimeter you can come close at 67.46 pounds, but alas, no cigar. It might also be that in no solar system can you find anything denser than Osmium.

wgrover.bsky.social•28 days ago

Yup - in the blog post I do the math for filling the box with neutron star material, and that would successfully exceed the USPS weight limit by about 10^20 kilograms (but it would present some other practical problems...)

drjohndesmarteau.bsky.social•28 days ago

My back of the envelope comes up with 0.0000000003178 cubic centimeter of neutron star to not exceed the 70 pound limit. Of course still very rough, since we don't have an exact number for the density of a neutron star.

manelcamacho.bsky.social•28 days ago

I vote for a small black hole!

This however raises other types of questions...

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