Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Audible dot com is the leading provider of downloadable digital
audio books and spoken word entertainment. Audible has over one
thousand titles to choose from to be downloaded to your
iPod or MP three player. Go to audible podcast dot
com slash brain Stuff to get a free audio book
download of your choice when you sign up today. Welcome
to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com where
(00:22):
smart happens. Hi, I'm Marshall Brain with today's question. When
I stand at the water's edge and look out over
the ocean, how far away is the horizon. One of
the funniest things about the ocean is the fact that
(00:43):
its surface is curved. We tend to think about water
forming large flat sheets, but the surface of a body
of water is not actually flat at all. It follows
the curvature of the Earth because of the curvature of
the planet. The distance between you and the horizon when
you look out over the ocean depends on your height
(01:03):
above the surface of the water. If your eyes are
eight inches above the water, the distance to the horizon
is about a mile. If you're six ft tall and
standing right at the water's edge, then your eyes are
about five and a half feet above the surface. The
distance to the horizon is about three miles in that case.
(01:24):
For more on this and thousands of other topics. Because
it how staff works dot com, streaming TV shows and
movies directly to your home is a breeze with Netflix.
As a Netflix member, you can instantly watch TV and
movies on your PC, Mac, mobile device, or television. Get
a free thirty day trial membership. Go to Netflix dot com,
(01:45):
slash stuff and sign up today.