Googol and Googolplex

This video is full of fun geekiness, where physicists and mathematicians talk about "really big numbers". How big are these "really big numbers"? How about the number 10 100 , which translates into 1 followed by 100 zeros? The shorthand name for that number is a Googol. Oh, maybe that number isn't big enough for you then? How about 10 Googol , which translates into 10( 10 100 )? The original definition of that really big number is "one, followed by writing zeroes until you get tired". Since people would get tired of writing zeros at different times, the definition of a Googolplex was formalised as 10( 10 100 ). Here are several of our favourite mathematicians talking about these two really really big numbers: Visit numberphile 's YouTube channel [ video link ]. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Numberphile , the latest project by video journalist Brady Haran, is on facebook and can also be found on twitter @ numberphile In this video, we met Antonio (Tony) Padilla , a Royal Society Research Fellow and a Lecturer in Physics at the University of Nottingham and Ria Symonds, a Further Mathematics Teaching Officer at the University of Nottingham . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. twitter: @ GrrlScientist facebook: grrlscientist evil google+: grrlscientist email: [email protected]