Smallest trade union
The Sheffield Wool Shear Workers Union currently has 9 members. The union was originally called the Sheffield Shear Makers, Grinders, Finishers and Benders Union, but has presumably lost its grinders, finishers and benders.
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Smelliest species of frog
The smelliest species of frog is the suitably-named Venezuelan skunk frog (Aromobates nocturnus), whose vile-smelling skin secretion is released for defence purposes and actually contains the same stink-producing organosulphur compound that is present in the famously foul anal emissions released by skunks. Yet in spite of its awful stench, this extraordinary frog remained unknown to science until as recently as 1991 when it was finally described and named. Measuring 6.2 cm (2.44 in) long, it is the largest member of the poison-arrow frog family, Dendrobatidae.
Smallest watch movement
The smallest watch movement is Cal.G720, developed and manufactured by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (Japan) in 2002, which measures 30 mm² (0.046 in²) in surface area and 73 mm³ (0.004 in³) in volume. Watch movement means machine parts of a watch except for exterior parts, such as a case, a dial and hands. Its full dimensions are 5.0 mm x 6.0 mm x 2.5 mm.
Smallest visible object
The resolving power of the human eye is 0.0003 of a radian or an arc of one minute (1/60th of a degree), which corresponds to 100 microns at 25 cm (10 in). A micron is a thousandth of a millimetre, hence 100 microns is 0.003937, or less than four thousandths of an inch or 2.5 cm. The human eye can, however, detect a bright light source shining through an aperture only 3 to 4 microns across. In October 1972 the University of Stuttgart, then West Continue reading →
Smallest video game dance mat
The Venom Mini Dance Mat lets gamers play Dance Dance Revolution using their fingers instead of their feet. It measures 10 cm (4 in) wide by 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long and weighs just 20 g (0.7 oz), and is the world’s first hand-held dance mat.
Smallest unit of time
The smallest unit of time is known as Planck’s time, 10**-43 seconds. It is the amount of time it takes the fastest thing, light, travelling at 3×10**8 metres per second, to cross the smallest distance, the Planck length, 10**-35 m. NB ** denotes superscript
Smallest transistor
In May 2010 a team from the UNSW Centre for Quantum Computer Technology (Australia) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) announced their creation of an experimental transistor consisting of a quantum dot within a crystal of silicon. Measuring just 4 nm across, the transistor is made from 7 atoms of phosphorus and is around 10 times smaller than the smallest version used in commercial applications. Scientists used a scanning tunnelling microscope to manipulate the atoms one at a time to create a transistor that is Continue reading →
Speed Skating, 3,000 m (women)
3:53.34 Cindy Klassen (Canada) Calgary, Canada 18 March 2006
Speed Skating, 10,000 m (men)
12:41.69* Sven Kramer (Netherlands) Salt Lake City, Utah, USA 10 March 2007 * Pending ISU ratification in June 2007. Kramer’s previous (see broken) record of 12:49.88 (on 11 February 2007) is also awaiting ratification in June 2007.
Speed Skating, 1,500 m (women)
1:51.79 Cindy Klassen (Canada) Salt Lake City, Utah, USA 20 November 2005