Stretching the Truth

"Mama," my ten year old son said. "Did you know that the human intestine is so long, it can stretch all the way around the world?"

I tried very hard not to laugh.  "Bubba, I think you've got your facts a little mixed up."

Bubba shook his head.  "No.  I'm pretty sure I got it right."

"How long is a human intestine?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"I bet it's about twenty feet," I said. "How big is the circumference of the Earth?"

"Twenty feet?"

"Um, no," I said.  "Let's look this up."  I went to the computer and did a little research.  The circumference around the Earth is 24,901.55 miles.  According to my calculations, that is 131,480,184 feet. "Dude," I said.  "Do you really think one intestine is going to cover that distance?"

He shook his head.  "It'll take two.  Yours and dad's."



(For those of you who are interested, it would take 65,740,092 intestines to go around the world.)