In today’s post-modern world, everyone has an opinion on something. This is where the idiom, “A penny for your thoughts” come into play. This common idiom has been around for centuries and it is a way to speak to someone who is lost in thought or daydreaming. It is used to ask what they’re thinking about, but also a way to politely let them know that they seemed to have been preoccupied elsewhere. Now, one may question, exactly, how much of your thoughts can be purchased with a penny? Where did this idiom originate from? In this essay, I will discuss the information I found in the research that I have conducted. This essay will contain information pertaining to the origin of this idiom, how much an individuals’ thoughts are worth, and how
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However, it is known that it originated from England in the sixteenth century. Sir Thomas More’s book, Four Last Things published in 1522, is the first documentation of this idiom. Four Last Things contained information about God’s judgement, the afterlife, and other religious controversial things (Blitz). The saying didn’t gain its popularity until playwriter, John Heywood wrote A dialogue conteinying the number in effect of all the proverbs in the Englishe tongue (also known as The Proverbs of John Heywood). When the saying originated, a penny was worth more than it is in the 21st Century. In the 15th century, a penny was worth about two dollars and fifty cents (if converted to American money and accounting for …show more content…
It is important to keep in mind that the brain is the organ in the body that controls the thought; therefore, to compute the power necessary for the brain to run thoughts will need to be computed. According to Uwuigbe, the brain accounts for less than two percent of a person’s weight, and consumes twenty percent of the body’s energy. The average power consumption of a typical adult is approximately 100 Watts; therefore, requires 20 Watts to produce thought.
Next, to apply monetary value to thought, the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) charged by the location in which the thoughts are being formed, (in this case, the United Kingdom, value of a penny can fluctuate) estimates that one penny can purchase one sixteenth of a kWh, keeping in mind that twenty Watts is equivalent to one fiftieth kW. Therefore, assuming it is possible to speak as fast as you can think, one penny can purchase roughly three hours, seven minutes, and thirty seconds of your thoughts. The equation for this concept (in hours)
However, it is known that it originated from England in the sixteenth century. Sir Thomas More’s book, Four Last Things published in 1522, is the first documentation of this idiom. Four Last Things contained information about God’s judgement, the afterlife, and other religious controversial things (Blitz). The saying didn’t gain its popularity until playwriter, John Heywood wrote A dialogue conteinying the number in effect of all the proverbs in the Englishe tongue (also known as The Proverbs of John Heywood). When the saying originated, a penny was worth more than it is in the 21st Century. In the 15th century, a penny was worth about two dollars and fifty cents (if converted to American money and accounting for …show more content…
It is important to keep in mind that the brain is the organ in the body that controls the thought; therefore, to compute the power necessary for the brain to run thoughts will need to be computed. According to Uwuigbe, the brain accounts for less than two percent of a person’s weight, and consumes twenty percent of the body’s energy. The average power consumption of a typical adult is approximately 100 Watts; therefore, requires 20 Watts to produce thought.
Next, to apply monetary value to thought, the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) charged by the location in which the thoughts are being formed, (in this case, the United Kingdom, value of a penny can fluctuate) estimates that one penny can purchase one sixteenth of a kWh, keeping in mind that twenty Watts is equivalent to one fiftieth kW. Therefore, assuming it is possible to speak as fast as you can think, one penny can purchase roughly three hours, seven minutes, and thirty seconds of your thoughts. The equation for this concept (in hours)