Give or Take

[Intro]
Give or take a few?
I dunno… how ’bout you?

[Verse 1]
Do you know what is the exact time
Or how many stars there are
When is a man at his prime
The efficiency of a car
Give or take a few…
I dunno… how ’bout you?

[Chorus]
Seventy beats per minute
A hundred calories per mile
Science does insinuate
The length of “a while”

[Bridge]
Give or take a few
(It’ll have to do)
Give or take a few
(A relative point-of-view)

[Verse 2]
How many cells in the human body
… time for nerve impulse transmission
What does knowledge embody
How many isotopes in nuclear fission
Give or take a few…
I dunno… how ’bout you?

[Chorus]
Seventy beats per minute
A hundred calories per mile
Science does insinuate
The length of “a while”
(Oh… three or four)
Maybe more

[Bridge]
Give or take a few
(It’ll have to do)
Give or take a few
(A relative point-of-view)

[Chorus]
Seventy beats per minute
A hundred calories per mile
Science does insinuate
The length of “a while”
(Oh… three or four)
Maybe more

[Outro]
Oh… three or four
(Maybe more)

A SCIENCE NOTE

Science often relies on “back-of-the-envelope” calculations or approximate values to simplify problems and make rough predictions. These “give or take a few” estimates are widely used across disciplines for quick assessments. Here are some examples:


Physics and Astronomy

  1. Acceleration due to Gravity:
    g≈10 m/s2g
  2. Speed of Light:
    c≈3×108 m/sc
  3. Mass of an Electron:
    me≈9×10−31 kg
  4. Diameter of Earth:
    ≈13,000 km
  5. Age of the Universe:
    ≈14 billion years

Chemistry

  1. Avogadro’s Number:
    NA≈6×1023
  2. Atomic Radius:
    ≈10−10 m
  3. Energy of a Chemical Bond:
    ≈100 kJ/mol

Biology

  1. Number of Cells in the Human Body:
    ≈37 trillion
  2. Diameter of a Typical Cell:
    ≈10 μm
  3. Time for Nerve Impulse Transmission:
    ≈100 m/s

Geoscience

  1. Density of the Earth’s Crust:
    ≈2.7 g/cm3
  2. Thickness of the Earth’s Crust:
    ≈30 km

Everyday Science

  1. Air Pressure at Sea Level:
    ≈100,000 Pa
  2. Density of Water:
    ≈1,000 kg/m3
  3. Calories Burned per Mile (Walking):
    ≈100 calories/mile
  4. Human Resting Heart Rate:
    ≈70 beats/min

Engineering

  1. Efficiency of Internal Combustion Engines:
    ≈30%
  2. Energy Content of Gasoline:
    ≈35 MJ/L
  3. Speed of Sound in Air:
    ≈340 m/s

These estimates are useful for rapid problem-solving and conceptual understanding, especially when high precision isn’t required.

From the album “Anthropological” by Daniel

The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment

MegaEpix Enormous