# Things that are much smaller than you always thought **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430 "2018-08-28T20:57:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/21 "2018-08-29T12:27:27Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Civil War battlefields. I’ve only been to a few, but they were smaller than the campus of the local elementary school. A couple of them were the about the size of a football field. It’s hard to believe they could even set up two lines with enough land in the middle to fight over. Perhaps true in some cases, but I think this is mostly because the area purchased with tax dollars to become public property (state park or national historic site or whatever) is smaller than the area where the battle took place. The feds picked a couple — Gettysburg and Vicksburg — where they did purchase something close to the entire battle site, and these ARE big. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/22 "2018-08-29T12:51:24Z")
[Jonathan Banks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Banks) who plays Mike on _Breaking Bad_ and _Better Call Saul_. He always has a big menacing presence on screen, but then I saw him in an old episode of Dexter, and everyone was towering over him. I went to look up how tall he was, and was surprised to see he is only 5’9". I thought for sure he was 6’+. But then again a lot of actors are shorter than they appear on screen, like Tom Cruise. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/23 "2018-08-29T13:00:02Z")
[Dealey Plaza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dealey_Plaza), where the assassination of President Kennedy took place. I had seen it in countless photos and television news stories. When I first drove into it, I was shocked at how close together everything was. The distance from the 6th floor window to the car’s position, the distance between Zapruder and car, the proximity of the grassy knoll to everything else all surprised me. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/24 "2018-08-29T13:13:46Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Stonehenge. It would fit in my yard with room to spare. Did you see the Spinal Tap version of it? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/25 "2018-08-29T13:36:52Z")
When I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I was a bit surprised that it wasn’t very tall. Still impressive, though. Though I live in a city with the tallest inclined tower, and many skyscrapers, so maybe I’m used to really tall buildings. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/26 "2018-08-29T15:09:19Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > That seems a curious reaction, the main stones are over 20 feet high 50+ tons and the the whole thing is 100 metres across. What size were you expecting for a 5000 year old stone circle? He obviously didn’t realize that the main construction at Stonehenge, the ones with the astronomical value, are the real point. The central stones were added 1000 years later and really don’t add anything except bulk. Sir Fred (Hoyle) suggested that they were added to try to propitiate the gods since the astronomical alignments would have drifted off in 1000 years owing to the precession of the equinoxes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/27 "2018-08-29T15:09:23Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Though I live in a city with the tallest inclined tower, and many skyscrapers, so maybe I’m used to really tall buildings. You live in Sao Paulo? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/28 "2018-08-29T15:20:00Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Perhaps true in some cases, but I think this is mostly because the area purchased with tax dollars to become public property (state park or national historic site or whatever) is smaller than the area where the battle took place. > > The feds picked a couple — Gettysburg and Vicksburg — where they did purchase something close to the entire battle site, and these ARE big. Likewise Antietam, Chickamauga, and Kennesaw Mountain. You _could_ walk all over any of these battlefields, but you’d be committing yourself to several hours to a full day. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/29 "2018-08-29T15:30:09Z")
Devil’s Tower. Very beautiful and impressive, but not as big as it looks in Close Encounters. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/30 "2018-08-29T15:51:23Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > But then again a lot of actors are shorter than they appear on screen, like Tom Cruise. The first time I heard Tom Cruise stood 3’ 8" I scoffed. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/31 "2018-08-29T17:40:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You live in Sao Paulo? Eh, I thought Montreal’s Olympic Stadium was advertised as the world’s tallest inclined tower. Whether it’s true, I don’t know. But it’s taller than the Pisa Tower. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/32 "2018-08-29T17:59:41Z")
My penis. Oh wait, (Goes back and reads thread title) Nope…yeah I was right the first time… ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/33 "2018-08-29T18:12:41Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > My penis. > > Oh wait, > > (Goes back and reads thread title) > > Nope…yeah I was right the first time… If you think your breasts are T-Cups, your expected penis length may have been equally unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/34 "2018-08-29T18:51:03Z")
I’ll add Starry Night to the list of painting that were smaller than you expected. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/35 "2018-08-29T21:26:41Z")
I once saw a guy walking down the street when I was currently living, and thought “He looks like a short Paul Simon.” I later found out that Simon’s parents lived in that town, and he is 5’2". I don’t know why, but I never thought he was so small. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/36 "2018-08-29T21:41:28Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > Did you see the Spinal Tap version of it? I sort of felt like that when I saw the real thing. Everything I’d seen about it on television, etc. made it seem really massive. At the time it was built, of course it was. In modern terms, not so much. Like I said, it could fit in my yard. The taller stones are about as tall as my house. ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/37 "2018-08-29T23:46:59Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I once saw a guy walking down the street when I was currently living, and thought “He looks like a short Paul Simon.” I later found out that Simon’s parents lived in that town, and he is 5’2". > > I don’t know why, but I never thought he was so small. He had fun with that in the [music video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA) he did with Chevy Chase for “You Can Call Me Al”. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/38 "2018-08-29T23:56:26Z")
The house I grew up in, especially my room. ---
**Author:** ![Sloe\_Moe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/39 "2018-08-30T00:25:48Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430/40 "2018-08-30T00:38:09Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Civil War battlefields. I’ve only been to a few, but they were smaller than the campus of the local elementary school. A couple of them were the about the size of a football field. It’s hard to believe they could even set up two lines with enough land in the middle to fight over. When I went to Gettysburg I was amazed at how small some of the uniforms, officers’ uniforms meant for adult men, were. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-much-smaller-than-you-always-thought/820430.md?page=3)