It's often hard to imagine just how big a billion actually is. This is a bit of a problem, as we live in a time of billions. "Billions" surround us everywhere that we go. There are billions of a galaxies, stars, people, light-years…but how do we put something like this into perspective? Can we really understand what a “billion” means?

In this video, Neil deGrasse Tyson attempts to explain fifty billion (50,000,000,000) by talking about how much money Bill gates has. In so doing, he also helps us understand just how unimaginably wealthy he is (and how fun mathematical calculations can be).

Trust me, you will want to watch it until the end.

Still having a hard time with a billion? This infograph might help:


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