Watch This Video To Learn 36 Unusual Units Of Measurement

Have you ever been following a recipe and come across a unit of measurement that sounds stupidly imprecise—like a dash, a smidgen or a pinch? Well, it turns out those are amounts that actually have real scientific values, and those in particular are all directly related to the size of a teaspoon.

That’s the basic idea behind Mental Floss’ newest video entitled 36 Unusual Units of Measurement, which is a fascinating look at three dozen strange ways we calculate the size, weight and length of various objects and even ourselves. In the past, the YouTube channel has gained great popularity through its amusing and informative lists concerning US Presidents, acronymns and grammar mistakes, and this clip will no doubt add to that pleasing catalog.

I think my favorite part is probably when host John Green goes over each of the units of measurement related to parts of the body and compares each to the other in a rapid fire list. The sequence sort of sums up everything that’s wonderful about this video and Mental Floss as a whole. After all, there’s no reason why videos can’t be entertaining, informative and snarky all at the same time.