Why do scientists documentaries use terms such as “one thousand billion” instead of just saying one trillion?

Question

Edit: Title should read “scientists *in* documentaries”

In: Other

Answer 1

here’s an example of the difference from Robert Heinlein’s *The Number Of The Beast*

From “The Number of the Beast” by Heinlein. The number of the beast was not 666, but 6^6^6, which gives:

> 10,314,424,798,490,535,546,171,949,056.

> “Mmm, `Ten thousand three hundred and fourteen quadrillion, four hundred twenty-four thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight trillion, four hundred and ninety thousand five hundred and thirty-five billion, five hundred and forty-six milliard, one hundred and seventy-one million, nine hundred and forty-nine thousand, and fifty-six. But I would never say it other than as a stunt.

> “I blinked at her. “I recognize that nomenclature — just barely. Here is the way I would read it: `Ten octillion, three hundred fourteen septillion, four hundred twenty-four sextillion, seven hundred ninety-eight quintillion, four hundred ninety quadrillion, five hundred thirty-five trillion, five hundred forty-six billion, one hundred seventy-one million, nine hundred forty-nine thousand, and fifty six.”