# Can you fit the entire world human population in the Grand Canyon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291 "2003-06-16T20:39:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Morrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/1 "2003-06-16T20:39:42Z")
Just wondering… (and, yes, it is ok to stack everyone on top of each other to the top) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/2 "2003-06-16T21:02:29Z")
Many times over. Volume of the Grand Canyon is 5.45 trillion cubic yards, more or less. (Figure acquired off the internet and probably reasonably accurate.) The volume of the average person is less than one cubic yard. Maybe even 1/3 cubic yard. So you could fit between 1000 and 3000 times the current population of the Earth into the Grand Canyon. But let’s get a bit fancier here. The average depth of the GC is one mile. Average width is 10 miles. Unless I’ve screwed up the math, there are 5,451,776,000 cubic yards in a cubic mile. So you could cram all 8 billion people in the world in a section of the Grand Canyon less than 1/10 mile long. Probably a lot less if you allow for squishage. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/3 "2003-06-16T21:09:39Z")
I don’t think you appreciate how huge the Grand Canyon is. From [this](http://www.webmecca.com/creation/articles/article36.htm) site: > [@](#): > > Before addressing these questions, here are some Grand Canyon facts: The Grand Canyon is approximately 277 miles long and its width varies from 4 to 18 miles wide. The Canyon primarily runs east to west. Its north rim is 8500 feet above sea level and the south rim is 7000 feet above sea level. The river now is about 2400 feet above sea level. Let’s put the numbers into cubic feet. (For convenience, let’s say that it is one mile deep and only 4 miles across) (277 x 5280) x (4 x 5280) x 5280 = 861,143,346,708,480,000 cu. ft. People are 6 x 2 x 1 = 12 cu. ft. 12 x 6,000,000,000 = 72,000,000,000 cu. ft. of people. That means you could fit all the people on earth into the Grand Canyon more than 12,128,779 times over. And since it is much wider in spots, that severely underestimates the case. ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Sassafras\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras_Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/4 "2003-06-16T21:15:31Z")
Ever been to Loch Ness? That quote about fitting the population of the Earth in the Loch is thrown around by every tour guide and Exihibition Centers. Loch Ness itself is a mile wide , 24 miles long and up to 700’ deep, so since you could fit quite a few Loch Ness’s into the Grand Canyon, easy to say that even a hundred years in the future we all could still fit in the GC. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/5 "2003-06-16T21:25:28Z")
OK World Population is 6,214,891,000 ([2002 Numbers](http://www.prb.org/pdf/WorldPopulationDS02_Eng.pdf) eek! pdf file) Grand Canyon is 1,217,403 acres ([Park Service](http://www.nps.gov/grca/pphtml/facts.html) That would mean you’d have to put a little over 5105 people per acre. An acre is 43,560 square feet. That would be 1 person ever 8.5 square feet (I think). Not comfortable, but theoretically possible. (Please check my math!) ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/6 "2003-06-16T21:46:56Z")
OK, I say we do it! Group photo!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/7 "2003-06-16T21:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gassendi \* > \*\*OK, I say we do it! > > Group photo!!! \*\* Yeah right. Like half a billion people aren’t going to have their eyes closed. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/8 "2003-06-16T21:59:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeVena \* > \*\*OK > > World Population is 6,214,891,000 ([2002 Numbers](http://www.prb.org/pdf/WorldPopulationDS02_Eng.pdf) eek! pdf file) > > Grand Canyon is 1,217,403 acres ([Park Service](http://www.nps.gov/grca/pphtml/facts.html) > > That would mean you’d have to put a little over 5105 people per acre. An acre is 43,560 square feet. That would be 1 person ever 8.5 square feet (I think). > > Not comfortable, but theoretically possible. > > (Please check my math!) \*\* I didn’t check your math, but I just wanted to point out that according to your numbers, you could fit everyone in without even having to stack them. Everyone gets standing room. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/9 "2003-06-16T22:01:23Z")
> [@](#): > > even a hundred years in the future we all could still fit in the GC. Particularly given that 100 years in the future the human population will still be less than 9 billion people. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/10 "2003-06-16T22:05:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blake \* > \*\*Particularly given that 100 years in the future the human population will still be less than 9 billion people. \*\* How do you figure that? The conventional wisdom is that the population doubles every 35 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/11 "2003-06-16T22:14:01Z")
It used to be said that there is enough standing room for the Earth’s population on the Isle of Wight - I’m not sure if this is possible with today’s population and besides, I think the locals might object. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/12 "2003-06-16T22:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*It used to be said that there is enough standing room for the Earth’s population on the Isle of Wight - I’m not sure if this is possible with today’s population and besides, I think the locals might object. \*\* In the 1968 sci-fi novel [Stand on Zanzibar](http://www.forum2.org/tal/books/soz.html), John Brunner predicted a world population of 8 billion in 2010, which would require an island the size of Zanzibar for standing room: > [@](#): > > There’s a belief still current among British schoolchildren that you could stand the entire human race on the 147-square-mile Isle of Wight, elbow to elbow and face to face. > > Well, that may have been true around the time of World War I although nobody was keeping records accurate enough for us to be certain. However, right now in the 1960’s you’d have a tough job packing us on the 221-square-mile Isle of Man. > > And by 2010 – the time this book takes place, you’d need an altogether larger island – something like the 640-square-mile surface of Zanzibar! ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/13 "2003-06-16T22:58:23Z")
> [@](#): > > How do you figure that? The conventional wisdom is that the population doubles every 35 years. Not sure who subscribes to that convention, but it is anything but wise. With room for errors in censuses etc, world populaton was about about 4 billion in 1968 and now 35 years later we have a total of about 6 billion. Not close to a doubling. Not only that but within 50 years the population will plateau at C9 billion ad then begin to fall. ( [http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/pop850.doc.htm](http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/pop850.doc.htm) ) There may have been one very specific period in the early-mid 20th century when population doubled in one 35 year period. But anyone who has told you this has been true at any other point in time, or whpo has been telling you it has been true in the last 30 years has been telling you porkies. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/14 "2003-06-17T14:33:31Z")
Nope. Can’t be done. At any given time, 204 million people are in meetings and can’t be reached. Countless pretty young women have other plans. A billion or so children have to go to the bathroom or are afraid of canyons. Teeming millions cannot be pried from their computers. 84 million people have to stay home and wait for the cable guy, who will be there sometime before five. Seven or eight million bouncy, chattering little folks can’t go because they’re waiting in line for Justin&Christina tickets. Billions of Chinese citizens are atop chairs, waiting for the signal to jump. Two point four billion people are on hold, waiting for tech support. Eighteen hundred people are actually talking to tech support. 105,071 hearing-impaired folks thought you said “band candy,” and they slammed the door. I can’t go. I’m, uh, busy. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/15 "2003-06-17T15:22:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > \*\*I didn’t check your math, but I just wanted to point out that according to your numbers, you could fit everyone in without even having to stack them. Everyone gets standing room. \*\* The real question: what would happen if they all jumped up and down at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Warnas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@Warnas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Warnas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/16 "2003-06-17T18:19:19Z")
Not a chance. We’ve been trying to set up a dinnerparty at my house with 12 guests. It’s taken over three months to agree on a date when we can all be there. Good luck trying that with 6 billion people! Besides… you wouldn’t be able to get enough toilet-facilities either. So I for one would refuse to go in anyway. Plus, I can only make it on Saturdays. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/17 "2003-06-17T19:18:51Z")
Okay, who wants to tackle the corollary question: Can you fit all living things on Earth into the Grand Canyon? Yes, that means plants, too. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/18 "2003-06-17T19:44:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morrison \* > \*\*Just wondering… (and, yes, it is ok to stack everyone on top of each other to the top) \*\* Planning the mother of all mass executions or something? Who’s gonna run the bulldozers, chimps? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/19 "2003-06-17T20:12:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > Okay, who wants to tackle the corollary question: > > Can you fit all living things on Earth into the Grand Canyon? > > Yes, that means plants, too. To start, [this site](http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mfogg/icons/calc3.html) gives the total biomass of the Earth as 1851 X 10[sup]9[/sup] tons. Assuming that the density of the biomass is approximately that of water (probably not to bad a guess), then one ton = one cubic meter, and total biomass = 1.851 X 10[sup]12[/sup] cubic meters. For the Grand Canyon, **Finagle** gives 5.45 trillion cubic yards = 4.14 X 10[sup]12[/sup] cubic meters. **Exapno Mapcase** gives something roughly the same (although looks like he mismultiplied: should be 163 trillion cubic feet = 4.56 X 10[sup]12[/sup] cubic meters). So looks like all life will fit in about half the volume of the Grand Canyon. I get dibs on the top layer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291/20 "2003-06-17T20:52:28Z")
**zut** , my hat’s off to you! Thanks for the analysis. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-fit-the-entire-world-human-population-in-the-grand-canyon/182291.md?page=2)