Have trouble understanding the logarithmic scale?
Have trouble understanding the logarithmic scale? It's what we base many electronic measurements on, including the decibel (internal link). This website gives a visual demonstration of the powers of ten:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java
/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.htm (external link)
You'll need a broadband connection to really enjoy the animation, and quite a bit of system memory. The pictures start out at a point in the universe at 10 to the 18th power. It then pulls back from that point to a place which is 10 to the negative 7 power. (Sorry, my web authoring program does not allow me use superscripts.) We go from a place beyond our imagination in the cosmos to the depth of a leaf surface, right down to the nucleoid level. Watch the place locations at the upper left while you watch the number of steps count down. I'm still not sure if you can grasp the dramatic changes that powers of ten produces, but I do congratulate the web site for providing us with another perspective.
Many people don't know how to conduct sound, authoritative research. The National Genealogical Society has published procedures which are entirely applicable to historical and scientific research. These standards are conservative and well thought out: