A million ain't a billion.
Our language is letting us down #
You live your one millionth second when you're about 2 weeks old, a newborn.
You live your one billionth - with a 'b' - second when you're 31 years and 7 months old.
The incredible difference between the two numbers is something we all know, but I think very few appreciate.
1,000,000
1,000,000,000
It doesn't look much, but it makes such a big difference.
A few billion dollars will get a small nation a space program, a few million dollars will get you a house in the 'posh suburb'.
I worry that when people hear something on the news like "the government has promised several million dollars aid to the stricken nation" they think "cool cool, that's generous and good" but when they hear the same snippet but with billion dollars they think "cool cool, that's generous and good".