# How many unique things have humans made?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 7, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605 "2024-06-07T20:06:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605/41 "2024-06-09T04:52:22Z")

</div>

> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> It’s a unique thing if it’s listed as a discrete object in a catalog, or would be if the catalog existed.

A catalog of the whole Earth? What would you call such a thing?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605/42 "2024-07-10T02:31:37Z")

</div>

[![](https://morbotron.com/meme/S05E08/524590.jpg?b64lines=IHRoZSBldmlsIGJyYWlucyBoYXZlCiBiZWVuIGNvbnN0cnVjdGluZyB0aGUKICJJbmZvLVNwaGVyZSIgYSBnaWFudAogbWVtb3J5IGJhbmsgdHdpY2UgdGhlCiBzaXplIG9mIHRocmVlIG9yZGluYXJ5CiBtZW1vcnkgYmFua3Mu) ](https://morbotron.com/meme/S05E08/524590.jpg?b64lines=IHRoZSBldmlsIGJyYWlucyBoYXZlCiBiZWVuIGNvbnN0cnVjdGluZyB0aGUKICJJbmZvLVNwaGVyZSIgYSBnaWFudAogbWVtb3J5IGJhbmsgdHdpY2UgdGhlCiBzaXplIG9mIHRocmVlIG9yZGluYXJ5CiBtZW1vcnkgYmFua3Mu)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Happytree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happytree/32/3555_2.png) [@Happytree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happytree)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605/43 "2024-07-10T03:24:08Z")

</div>

Just think of electronic components. Every kind of chip, timer, resistor, etc.  
Now consider nuts, bolts, washers, etc.  
We’re still going to have made billions and billions of unique items, even by the new parameter set by OP

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605/44 "2024-07-10T14:18:39Z")

</div>

With about 117 billion humans in our past history on earth I’d guess easily in the trillions. Handmade no two things alike.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605/45 "2024-07-10T17:44:44Z")

</div>

> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#):
>
> 8,223,719,716,663…oops, now it’s 8,223,947,990,004.

Wow. That’s the same number I got!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-unique-things-have-humans-made/1002605.md?page=2)