Limpet teeth are the strongest biological material ever tested

Limpet teeth are the strongest biological material ever tested(m.bbc.co.uk)

10 points by skinofstars 11 years ago | 3 comments

ryandvm 11 years ago |

> Barber explained, it can be compared to a single string of spaghetti holding up 3,000 half-kilogram bags of sugar.

Heh. So... it can hold 3,000 things that weigh a half-kilogram? Also known as 1,500 kilograms.

What is it with the BBC's hilarious units of comparison? It has clearly become some sort of journalistic inside joke.

vannevar 11 years ago | |

For those unfamiliar with the metric system of measurement, this is equivalent to approximately 75,000 unladen swallows. Provided they are European swallows, of course.

SAI_Peregrinus 11 years ago | | |

This assumes a 20g swallow. "European swallow" typically refers to the barn swallow, which ranges between 16 to 22g. So between 68,000 and 94,000 unladen swallows.