very large numbers and how the internet perpetuates errors?

[flh801978]

Today in a paper was an article about the eiffel tower and how many lights were on it
The article quoted that there was 425 large floodlights but then just dropped in that the whole tower is illuminated by 5 billion lights !!!!
Can this be true?
if so thats well over 300,000 per inch of its height (320 metres)
so thats over a third of a million for EVERY INCH

Seemed a bit far fetched so tried to search the internet for a figure and sure enough every site confirms this figure
5,000,000,000.....lights

Can this be right?

Ian

Edit...the blackpool tower is only 172 metres or so makes do with only 25,000 bulbs in total

I really ought to get out more and worry about more important things......

 

[dc_ni]

I really ought to get out more and worry about more important things......

You and me both

http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/everything-about-the-tower/the-illuminations.html

 

[ChrisR]

I bet, we the UK tax payers are covering the electricity cost. :evil:

Take care.

Chris R.

 

[flh801978]

this site quotes 5 billion
http://www.livescience.com/29391-eiffel-tower.html
and this one
http://www.businessinsider.com/40-fasci ... 014-3?IR=T

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias do copy from one another. There was an American dictionary that gave a "Dord" as a unit of density. It transpired that they had used another dictionary that gave "D or d - a unit of density".

 

[Jacob]

I bet, we the UK tax payers are covering the electricity cost. :evil:

Take care.

Chris R.

Very likely.
EDF (Électricité de France) is a french nationalised company which supplies, and profits from, a large chunk of UK power - thanks to the insane policy of privatisation and the UK prejudice against state enterprises. If they can run them effectively why can't we? Ditto various other national concerns now run from abroad by foreign nationalised bodies.

 

[n0legs]

I bet, we the UK tax payers are covering the electricity cost. :evil:

Take care.

Chris R.

Very likely.
EDF (Électricité de France) is a french nationalised company which supplies, and profits from, a large chunk of UK power - thanks to the insane policy of privatisation and the UK prejudice against state enterprises. If they can run them effectively why can't we? Ditto various other national concerns now run from abroad by foreign nationalised bodies.

Never mind EDF being French, there's a couple of big cables linking us to the French.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I think that the answer to the OP's original q is "No", it can't be right. Not electric lights, anyway.

OTOH if you are talking about stars.....

I remember going to the Blackpool illuminations as a child. We joined the queue of traffic at the south end at precisely 1 minute to midnight, and as we all said "Wow!", all the lights went out, show's over, go home.

 

[gasman]

I agree with Steve - and also that website quoted http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/everything-about-the-tower/the-illuminations.html refers to 20000 lights only? and they are only 6 watts each so not even that costly to run? Seems an enormous error to be propagated?
Cheers
Mark

 

[n0legs]

Seems an enormous error to be propagated?
Cheers
Mark

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story :lol:

 

[RogerS]

Could that number of 5 billion be the total light output in lumens or lux of the 6000 watt xenon arc lights ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If they are flashing lights, it could conceivably be the number of flashes per night.

 

[mseries]

Could that number of 5 billion be the total light output in lumens or lux of the 6000 watt xenon arc lights ?

I reckon. I reckon is was expressed in candlepower, light of 5 billion candles became 5 billion lights.

 

[woodpig]

Yes, that sounds more likely. Someone ought to question the websites claim.

 

[RogerS]

Could that number of 5 billion be the total light output in lumens or lux of the 6000 watt xenon arc lights ?

I reckon. I reckon is was expressed in candlepower, light of 5 billion candles became 5 billion lights.

The wonders of computer language translation programs.

 

[Droogs]

Could it be that every bulb in Paris is surreptitiously aimed at the tower? We all know how sneaky the French are