At the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Money Museum, there’s a big transparent cube on display. It’s filled with tightly packed stacks of $ 1 \$1 $1 bills, claiming to contain $ 1,000,000 \$1{,}000{,}000 $1,000,000.
The plaque proudly declares:
Have you ever wondered what one million dollars looks like? You don’t have to wonder anymore because you can see it right in front of you!
But I don’t trust signs. I trust counting.
The Big Count
I first tried counting the stacks right there in the room. The cube was tall, so I had to step back to see the whole thing, squinting at the stacks, trying to follow each row. I lost track almost immediately.
Also, people were starting to look at me funny. Apparently, staring intensely at a pile of cash while muttering numbers isn’t normal museum behavior.
Then, I tried with a photo. I zoomed all the way in on my phone, dragging my finger across the screen, mentally tallying as I went.
Still couldn’t keep count.
All I wanted was a way to click on things in a photo and have the number go up.
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