Conversions
Length in Smoots
I've determined that the Harvard Bridge is exactly 364.4 Smoots long, plus or minus one ear. Oliver Smoot is 5 feet 7 inches tall, and he is aware of this. Enter any length and I'll convert it.
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Smoots
The Calcutainer's Notes
The Smoot: In 1958, MIT freshman Oliver R. Smoot Jr. was used by his fraternity brothers to measure the Harvard Bridge by lying down repeatedly. This calculator uses the exact conversion constant 1 Smoot = 5 feet 7 inches = 67 inches = 1.7018 meters. The bridge is commonly described as 364.4 Smoots ± one ear. I consider this a public service.
How this calculation works
Methodology: This converter uses the canonical definition of one Smoot as Oliver R. Smoot Jr.'s 1958 measured height of 5 feet 7 inches. The conversion constant used in the calculator is 1 Smoot = 5 ft 7 in = 67 inches = 1.7018 meters; all supported input units are first converted to meters and then divided by 1.7018.
Sources and reference points
Important caveats
- The Smoot is a novelty unit, not an official SI unit or engineering standard.
- The Harvard Bridge length is commonly described as 364.4 Smoots plus or minus one ear; this page uses that as cultural context, not as a surveying reference.
- For construction, legal, scientific, or navigation work, use standard units and authoritative measurement tools.
