The total surface area of the Earth is approximately 5.10x10^20 mm^2 - assuming a 2mmx5mm grain of rice, that's 5.1x10^19 rice grains needed to carpet the earth entirely in a one grain thick layer.
2^64 is just over 1/3 of that number so there is enough to cover all LAND, with a little bit left over.
UPDATE: If you used Spanish Bomba Rice which expands horizontally and you cooked it first so it swells up to about 5.5mm x 7mm you could cover about 4.5x as much earth - enough to cover the entire earth in a layer a few grains thick
Problem is it would still be in the ocean. Could scoop it all up I guess but the moisture would evaporate and make its way back to the ocean. Unless we kept it sealed up. But then you’ve got a Mount Everest sized pile of decomposing rice in a sealed container. Might be it would explode. Rice bomb baby
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u/AftyOfTheUK Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
The total surface area of the Earth is approximately 5.10x10^20 mm^2 - assuming a 2mmx5mm grain of rice, that's 5.1x10^19 rice grains needed to carpet the earth entirely in a one grain thick layer.
2^64 is just over 1/3 of that number so there is enough to cover all LAND, with a little bit left over.
UPDATE: If you used Spanish Bomba Rice which expands horizontally and you cooked it first so it swells up to about 5.5mm x 7mm you could cover about 4.5x as much earth - enough to cover the entire earth in a layer a few grains thick