In many cases the pill would weigh more than the patient: 10 micrograms would become 100 kg. (View Post)

Confusion between mg and micro grams would worry me. Trying to teach people to spot and avoid powers of ten errors takes up a noticeable portion of my working life. (View Post)

I regard myself as reasonably numerate, but my worst mathematical mistake involved an answer that was 68 orders of magnitude out. (View Post)

I think @Foxy is right... (View Post)

English idioms can be pretty obscure as well: “I’ll go the the foot of our stairs!” (An expression of surprise). (View Post)