MetaFilter posts tagged with height

You must be THIS TALL to file a W-2

Kadin2048 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:16:15 -0800

Economists Matthew Weinzierl (HBS) and Gregory Mankiw (Harvard) make a utilitarian case for a height tax. "Our research shows that, according to a conventional utilitarian calculus, the optimal height levy is sizeable. We calculate optimal taxes for adult white males in the US, whom we divide into three height groups – tall (above 72 inches), medium (between 70 and 72 inches), and short (below 70 inches). The optimal average tax on the tall is about 7.1% of the average tall income, while the average tax on the medium is about 3.8% of average medium income. These taxes pay for an average transfer to the short of more than 13% of average short income. Expressed in a more tangible way… [a] tall person making $50,000 should pay about $4,500 more in taxes than a short person making the same income."

Too tall!

Pants! — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:52:42 -0800

Moreover, based on the empirical distribution of height and wages, the optimal height tax is substantial: a tall person earning $50,000 should pay about $4,500 more in taxes (pdf) than a short person earning the same income. Draw what inferences you will.

Big Hairy Mystery

CCBC — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:27:15 -0800

Who is taller, Bin Laden or Bigfoot? Bernard Heuvelmans says: “A creature covered with long hair always looks bigger than it really is...” For that matter how big is Rambo? Or Arnold Schwartzenegger? (Play the game!) How tall are you?

Smoots in the West End of the Shire

rob511 — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:53:13 -0800

The LoTR musical needs Hobbits of a certain stature. What stature is that, budding thespians might ask? Well, smoot-height, of course! (Actually, 5'7" — or 170 cm — is the maximum height a would-be Frodo or Bilbo could be.) Another requirement is the ability to sing two songs ... and hairy appendages wouldn't hurt. So start knitting those foot-merkins! Auditions: 18 September, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine St (tube stop: Covent Garden).

HeightMax

Mwongozi — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 04:05:27 -0800

HeightMax I'd like to believe this is a joke, but I don't think it is. Internet scammers are no longer content with enlarging just parts of your body. Now you can grow the whole thing!

Average American vs European Height

rks404 — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 11:14:45 -0800

Those towering Dutchmen The height of the average American is roughly the same as it was during the Revolutionary war. The heights of many northwestern Europeans continue to shoot up. Is this simply genetics at work, or could Bush and the Republicans possibly be at fault here?

Tall tales

madamjujujive — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 08:57:32 -0800

The tallest man on record was Roger Pershing Wadlow which I discovered after finding this curious photo. His 8'11.1" stature dwarfed Andre's mere 7'4" height. Both suffered from the rare pituitary disorder of gigantism or acromegaly. China has some really tall people including Defen Yao. If her height of 7"8.5" is accurate, it is more than an inch taller than Guinness record holder Sandy Allen. By comparison, the top 50 tallest basketball players provide some scale. (centimeter converter). Apparently, girls and giants are a popular combo.

bittennails — Tue, 30 Apr 2002 05:21:32 -0800

Do short men get short-changed? Any real life experiences to back up or refute this study? I found this very interesting: "If a teenage sense of social exclusion influences future earnings, it may have great implications for youngsters from minority groups."