<div dir="ltr"><div>George and I were looking for intuition pumps to help a reader imagine how very thin the troposphere is.   Here is what we came up with:</div><div><br></div><div>
<h3 class="gmail-">Ordered by Type: Too Thin → Best Match → Too Thick</h3><div><br></div><div>
<span class="gmail-pointer-events-none gmail-absolute gmail-start-full gmail-top-4 gmail-z-10 gmail-hidden gmail-h-full gmail-w-fit gmail-ps-2 gmail-md:block"></span><div class="gmail-tableContainer gmail-horzScrollShadows gmail-relative"><table class="gmail-min-w-full"><thead><tr><th>Material / Object</th><th>Relative Thickness</th><th>Too Thin or Too Thick?</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Weather balloon skin (fully inflated)</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~280× too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Way too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Soap-film fragile</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Plastic wrap (1 layer)</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~7× too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Would need ~7 layers</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Eyeball tear film</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~4× too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Slightly too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Very close, poetic comparison</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Party balloon skin (inflated)</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~3× too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Slightly too thin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Best easy everyday match</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]"><b>Troposphere</b><br>Apple peel</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~14× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Best among fruits</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Basketball skin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~16× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Similar to soccer ball</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Soccer ball skin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~17× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Very close to basketball</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Baseball leather skin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~25× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Heavier and thicker still</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Tennis ball felt+skin</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~37× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Very thick and fuzzy</td></tr><tr><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Navel Orange peel</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">~70× too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Way too thick</td><td class="gmail-max-w-[calc(var(--thread-content-max-width)*2/3)]">Thickest skin we've discussed</td></tr></tbody></table></div>

<br></div>
<div class="gmail-group gmail-pointer-events-none gmail-relative gmail-flex gmail-justify-center gmail-*:pointer-events-auto"><span class="gmail-pointer-events-none gmail-absolute gmail-start-full gmail-top-4 gmail-z-10 gmail-hidden gmail-h-full gmail-w-fit gmail-ps-2 gmail-md:block"></span></div>

<br></div><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Nicholas S. Thompson</div><div>Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology</div><div>Clark University</div><div><a href="mailto:nthompson@clarku.edu" target="_blank">nthompson@clarku.edu</a></div><a href="https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson" target="_blank">https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson</a></div></div></div>