Is There More Hair or Grass in the World?

Have you ever wondered if there is more hair on people’s heads or blades of grass covering the earth? It’s an interesting question to ponder when thinking about the vast number of humans in the world versus the seemingly endless expanses of grassy areas After diving into some research on hair counts per person and estimates of global grass blades, the answer becomes clear Read on to find out whether hair or grass is more abundant on our planet.

Estimating the Number of Hair Strands Per Person

To start this comparison, we first need to estimate the average number of hairs on a human head. According to research the average person has around 100000 to 150,000 hairs on their head. However, hair counts vary dramatically across people based on age, gender, and genetics.

Here’s a breakdown of estimated hair counts by demographic:

• Blondes – 140,000 hairs
• Brunettes – 110,000 hairs
• Redheads – 90,000 hairs
• Men – 100,000 to 150,000 hairs
• Women – 150,000 to 300,000 hairs
• Newborns – Around 1 million hairs at birth

As we age, hair strands fall out and are not replaced, leading to thinning hair. By age 50, half of one’s original hair will be gone. Despite hair loss, let’s use the high end estimate of 300,000 hairs per person to keep the maximum potential number of hairs in our calculation.

Calculating Total Global Hair Strands

The next step is determining the world’s population to multiply our per-person hair count by. According to the most recent United Nations estimates, the current global population is approximately 7.7 billion people.

If we multiply the estimated 300,000 hairs per person by 7.7 billion people, we get:

300,000 hairs x 7.7 billion people = 2.3 quadrillion hairs

That’s 2300000,000,000,000 strands of human hair on heads around the world!

Estimating Blades of Grass on Earth

Now that we have an estimate for total global hairs, it’s time to estimate the number of grass blades blanketing the earth. Some key facts:

• Grasses cover about 20% of the Earth’s land surface or 5.29 billion acres.
• There are on average about 100-250 grass blades per square inch.
• With 12 inches per foot and 43,560 square feet per acre, we can estimate the number of blades per acre.

Let’s assume on the low end 100 blades per square inch and calculate blades per acre:

• 100 blades per sq inch
• 12 inches per foot and 43,560 sq ft per acre
• So 43,560 * 12 * 100 = 52,272,000 blades per acre

If grasses cover 5.29 billion acres globally, and we multiply by the 52.2 million blades per acre estimate, we get:

5.29 billion acres x 52,272,000 blades per acre = 276 quintillion blades of grass globally

That’s a massive 276,000,000,000,000,000,000 blades of grass!

The Verdict: Way More Grass Blades than Hairs

Based on these estimates, there are clearly far more blades of grass than hairs on human heads globally.

To summarize:

• Estimated hairs on human heads = 2.3 quadrillion
• Estimated blades of grass globally = 276 quintillion

So for every 1 strand of human hair on a head, there are approximately 120,000 blades of grass.

This rough calculation clearly shows grass dominating in terms of total numbers. Even considering potential errors in the estimates, the result heavily favors grass as the winner.

Why Such Vast Grasslands Exist

The fact that grasses and grasslands cover so much of the earth’s land surface leads to an important follow-up question – why is grass so abundant and widespread?

There are a few key reasons grasses thrive:

• They grow fast – Fast growth allows grasses to spread rapidly.

• Tolerate grazing – Grasses can continue growing after being partially eaten by grazing animals.

• Interconnected root systems – Underground root sharing allows grasses to efficiently absorb water and nutrients.

• Fill wide niches – Different grass species thrive in diverse environments including tundra, prairies, mountaintops, and wetlands.

• Human agriculture – Vast grain crops and lawns created by humans boost grass totals.

So grass is structured for fast dispersal, grazing resilience, and niche variability – perfect attributes to become Earth’s most far-reaching plant!

While human hair is impressive in its own right, grass clearly dominates in terms of total numbers and widespread area when comparing global hair strands to grass blades.

Grasses can thrive almost everywhere thanks to fast growth, grazing tolerance, interconnected roots, and environmental adaptations. This results in massive grassy expanses covering 20% of land and 276 quintillion grass blades – drastically outpacing the estimated global total of human hairs.

It’s astounding to think that for every single hair on a human head, there are around 120,000 blades of grass on this planet of ours. So the next time you see a sweeping expanse of grass, remember it represents just a tiny fraction of the countless emerald blades blanketing the earth!