I wonder how many Melbourne couples could genuinely ask that question after last night’s earth tremor? (or perhaps trembler?) statistically speaking there must have been one couple “on the job” at the exact moment.

bob(from black rock) said:

I wonder how many Melbourne couples could genuinely ask that question after last night’s earth tremor? (or perhaps trembler?) statistically speaking there must have been one couple “on the job” at the exact moment.

I was thinking that. Mate of mine was celebrating his birthday yesterday …….

They earthquake was caused by fracking then?

>>>I was thinking that. Mate of mine was celebrating his birthday yesterday …….

Quick Aussie, phone him and ask.

>>>They earthquake was caused by fracking then?

10/10 DA

Well it might have been, if not for the typo…

>>>Well it might have been, if not for the typo…

If you mean “Fracking” I took that to be a clever play on words.

>>>Well it might have been, if not for the typo…

If you mean “Fracking” I took that to be a clever play on words.

Nope, “they” should have been “the”.

In answer to the question, using some rough estimates:

Say 5 million people within the zone of influence
Allowing for kids and other singles say 3 million in some sort of couplehood, so 1.5 million couples.
Allowing for an average of 2.5 earth-moving events/week and an average of 2 minutes over which the Earth could be said to be moving (these numbers are plucked from the air, and bear no relationship to actual personal experience btw), then the total earthmoving minutes per week = 1.5E6 × 2.5 × 2.

The shaking lasted approx 0.5 minutes out of 60 × 24 × 7 minutes in a week.

The total number of earthmoving events coincident with the earth shaking is therefore about:

1.5E6 × 2.5 × 2. x 0.5/(60 × 24 ×7) = about 250

The Rev, thanks, your sums seem reasonable, my gut reaction guess was perhaps 20 people.

No loading for time of day?

Or day of the week.

Or TV show ratings?

And the weather. It was very cold last night and some may have enjoyed some exercise to warm up.

sibeen said:

And the weather. It was very cold last night and some may have enjoyed some exercise to warm up.

Was it a two dog night?

red cards self

>>Was it a two dog night? Sings:- “It was a two dog night,
and I was sleeping with a hog,

Needs a bit of work,

It’s not unusual to get earth quakes this time of year.
What happens is the cold invigels its way down into the earths crust and meets the hot coming up from the core and the metalic ores bend with the delta T causing small to mild earth quakes like the one we saw in Victoria yesterday.
The serious earth quakes are caused by plate tectonics and global warming.

Peak Warming Man said:

The serious earth quakes are caused by plate tectonics and global warming.

Or The Rapture.

Rule 303 said:

No loading for time of day?

That’s a fair point, but I think the others are looking for more precision than the overall calc really has to offer.

OTOH it was 9:30 pm wasn’t it? Certainly well below the peak, but close enough that the rate at that time is probably close to the overall daily average, so I stick with my figure.

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The serious earth quakes are caused by plate tectonics and global warming.

Or The Rapture.

Or that unfrequntly occuring planet re-entering through the Oort belt…

Or The Rapture.

Or the Rupture.

Census results are out tomorrow.

The Rev Dodgson said:

8:55pm (Victorian time) to be more precise

>>Census results are out tomorrow.

Praise the Lord.

AussieDJ said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

8:55pm (Victorian time) to be more precise

I didn’t say that.

The Rev Dodgson said:

OTOH it was 9:30 pm wasn’t it?

Hmm. Stuffed up the attribution somewhat.

Take Two: 8:55pm Victorian time was when it hit.

AussieDJ said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

OTOH it was 9:30 pm wasn’t it?

Hmm. Stuffed up the attribution somewhat.

Take Two: 8:55pm Victorian time was when it hit.

OK then, that’s probably even closer to the daily average :)