Dictionary of Numbers: Nifty Tool to Make Numbers Meaningful
Large, abstract numbers have always mystified me. For example, $25 billion sounds like a lot, but it’s beyond my range of comprehension. Now you can use Dictionary of Numbers, a new Google Chrome extension to make sense of numbers.
This can be really helpful for marketeers! I typed in $25 billion and got these results:
- ≈cost of construction of Channel tunnel connecting the UK to France
- ≈Manhattan Project, the original US program to develop the atomic bomb
- ≈Gates Foundation total giving since 1994 (as of 2011)
However, the tool isn’t perfect (yet). I typed in 1, 2, 5 and 10 terabytes and got “no results.” Ditto for a few other numbers I tried. But the concept is great and hopefully it’ll continue to get better.
Cindee specializes in value proposition/messaging development, PR-AR-social and demand generation activities; she is a published author in several outlets, including Harvard Business Review.