Honestly? Because it makes you feel really small, but also weirdly connected. Every single person on this planet is stuck on that same 24,901-mile strip of rock.
It also explains why maps lie to you. They have to flatten that bulge into a rectangle, which is why Greenland looks the size of Africa on some maps. (It’s not. Africa is a beast.)
But here’s my favorite takeaway: next time you’re stuck in traffic, just think—you are literally moving around a 25,000-mile ball at 1,000 miles per hour (the Earth’s rotation speed at the equator). So even when you’re stuck, you’re still flying. How cool is that?
So, how many miles around the Earth? 24,901 miles. Give or take a few for the poles. Now go have another sip of coffee. You’ve earned it just for wrapping your head around that.
