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At what number of grains of sand does a non-pile graduate into being a pile? (lemmy.world)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm of the view that this is a semantic question where we have a word, "pile", that describes a general amount but doesn't have a specified quantity to it, and so the only way we can determine the amount of units required to constitute a pile at the bare minimum, is through public consensus on the most commonly shared idea we generally have when we think of a pile.

I also think it's possible for there to be a "range of graduation" between a non-pile and a pile, so for example "a non-pile becomes a pile somewhere between x grains and x grains" (depending on what most people think this range is), and if a given number of grains falls below this range, it would necessarily be only a minority of people that would still accept it to be a pile.

So I plan to count the answers here and see if we can come to some kind of consensus or at least most common or average opinion. For sake of not skewing the results, I won't suggest my opinion on what I think the number or range of grains is upon which a non-pile becomes a pile. What do you think it is?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

I was thinking that, but then I thought - would I call 2 apples next to each other, or even stacked on top of the other, a "pile"? I don't think so. So I would say a stack that has a solid base, so probably at least 4 - at least 3 to form a base, and then at least one more to sit on the base, forming the "pile"

But that's just my stoned brain rambling, so make of it what you will lol