2007-05-13 16:29:29 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
If I were you, I would start reading right this minute...and don't stop. Just keep on reading and reading and reading until it's time for you to go to the other side...and still, you will not succeed in reading everything!
2007-05-13 16:36:43 · answer #1 · answered by Sabrina(Susananita) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In 2002 the estimated amount of unique information produced in that year was 5 exabytes, which is the equivalent to ~37,000 libraries of congress. The Library of Congress contains about 33 million books, another 59 million manuscripts, and other information that technically isn't "written". So, 37,000 LoC's is ~3.4 trillion books. Now assuming that information stored on hard disks are not considered written (simply for the sake that written documents on computers take up a significantly smaller amount of space than other media) then we are only examining print, which is estimated to only be 0.01% of the new information in 2002. So, that's 0.01% times the ~3.4 trillion books worth of new information, which is 340 million still, and just for 2002. Just googling around for a few minutes, the most average size of a book I saw was about 350 pages and generally 250 words per page. So, 87,500 words per book for 340 million print books for 2002. That is 29.785 trillion words. Average reading speeds for a majority of the population sits at 200-250 words per minute. So, let's assume 225 wpm. Almost 30 trillion words divided by average 225 wpm is 251,688 years(VERY approximately with how many estimates I had to make). And that's only for one year. But information is said to be increasing at incredible rates, so the number will be considerably larger for years after 2002, and considerably smaller (and eventually insignificant) before that 2002 observation. So, that's an approximate for 2002, and just 2002. Pretty astounding I'd say.
Just a note: A lot of assumptions, averages, and estimates were used along with 5 year-old data. So the number is most likely considerably higher. Just thought I'd try and give a ballpark number.
2007-05-14 00:06:14 · answer #2 · answered by societyminority@sbcglobal.net 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Peter, you have asked an unanswerable question. You have to remember that things have been written in many languages and are being written as we speak and type. Just in Answers alone it would be a full time job to read everything asked and answered. A full mainframe computer cound not read everything ever written if given unlimited time. its just not possible.
2007-05-13 23:47:09 · answer #3 · answered by Traveler 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
billions of lifetimes. hec just the grafiti on the walls in some states would take a couple million lifetimes. let alone all the books published world wide and people's personal journals.
2007-05-14 01:19:18 · answer #4 · answered by wedjb 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
'everything ever written ever????' takes about two seconds to read
2007-05-14 00:56:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can't be done cause more things are being written right now
2007-05-13 23:34:06 · answer #6 · answered by Jimmie 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Way longer than anyone has to live.
2007-05-13 23:32:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To long.........lol
2007-05-13 23:32:04 · answer #8 · answered by Cinnamon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋