(Thanks, M. :)

Reader M. sees the matter this way:

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For years I have read about these “Collateral Accounts” hidden away in caves for the eventual release of mankind worth crazy numbers like 1 followed by 50 zeros. This week Zap references this type of account again. I just wanted to use a little math to show why this type of account makes absolutely no sense what so ever.

So let's use gold and diamonds as an example. Scientists estimate the earth weighs approximately 13,170,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds.

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/61-How-much-does-Earth-weigh-and-how-is-this-measured-

Currently gold is selling around 1,258 dollars an ounce US dollars.

Gold is measured in Troy ounces. However, the typical "pound" is not a troy measurement (it is technically called an Avoirdupois pound -- a typical American pound). There are ~14.583 Troy ounces in one American (Avoirdupois) pound.

So to find the current value of of one pound of gold, simply multiply 14.583 times the current price of gold.

So 1,258 $ x 14.583 = 18,345 $ for a pound of gold. Now the weight of the earth times the price of gold per pound. 13,170,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 x 18,345 $ = 2.4160365×10²⁹ or 241,603,650,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 $ So that would be the value if the entire earth was solid gold. 2.4 followed by 29 zeros far far short of the account worth 1 followed by 50 zeros. How do you fit enough gold in a cave to be worth 1 followed by 50 zeros when if the whole earth were solid gold it would only be worth 2.4 followed by 29 zeros.

Let's use Diamonds as an example let's pretend the earth is made out of 1 carat diamonds valued at 10,000 dollars a carat. 1 Pound = 2267.96185 Carats. So with our high priced Diamonds 2267.96185 x 10,000 we will say 1 pound of high quality diamonds is worth 226,796,185 $ x 13,170,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds. = 2.986905756×10³³ or 2,986,905,756,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 $ would be the worth of the earth if it were made out of 1 carat diamonds worth 10,000 a carat, and there are accounts worth 1 followed by 50 zeros hidden away in caves??? How large are these caves obviously vastly larger than planet earth.

One more example the sun weighs approximately 4.4 followed by 30 zeros in pounds. So if the sun weight was solid gold it would be worth 8.0718×10³⁴ $ and you would need 1,000,000,000,000,000 solid gold suns to get you close to an account worth 1 followed by 50 zeros. 1 quadrillion solid gold suns ( the weight of the sun in solid gold ) hidden away some caves some where obviously these are solar system size caves.

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