You know you’re reading American media when an asteroid isn’t 2 meters wide—it’s “about the size of a refrigerator.” Or a spacecraft isn’t 570 kilograms—it’s “vending-machine-sized.” It’s like journalism had a meeting one day and decided, collectively, that science is too boring unless it comes with a household appliance metaphor. That’s why I created this handy-dandy converter: to make sure we’re all on the same page.
I get it. “2 meters” doesn’t exactly stop the scroll. But the trend has gone from quirky to absurd. And the rest of the world? They’re quietly shaking their heads in metric.
Who Asked for the Fridge?
Let’s start with the fridge. In 2022, NASA crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. Huge win for planetary defense, right? The headlines? “NASA slams refrigerator-sized spacecraft into asteroid.” Not 570 kg, not 1.2 meters wide. Fridge.
Or how about asteroid 2022 EB5? Same year, another rock slammed into Earth’s atmosphere. Size? “Roughly the size of a refrigerator,” according to half the headlines in America. Apparently, it’s the default unit for anything smaller than a car but bigger than a toaster.
And just this March, a now-viral asteroid comparison video used the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building to scale space rocks. The largest one? Bigger than New York City. Because that’s just how Americans measure things now—in landmarks, vehicles, and consumer goods.
Meanwhile, Over in Europe
In Europe, they just…use numbers. Metric ones.
A 2-meter asteroid is a 2-meter asteroid. Not a fridge. A volume of 10,000 cubic meters? That’s 10,000 cubic meters. Maybe they throw in an “Olympic swimming pool” for drama, but even that is at least a fixed size. Not like fridges, which range from dorm mini to double-door family vault.
European media doesn’t sugarcoat scale. A report might read: “Asteroid detected at 63,700 kilometers per hour.” Not “hurtling toward Earth at the speed of a NASCAR car.” They give you the facts. No props. No metaphors. And yet, the world keeps turning.
Lost? Try this crazy converter that will help you find your way.
Why This Keeps Happening
Part of it is cultural. The U.S. never adopted metric, so newsrooms naturally default to what they assume their readers can picture. Plus, U.S. media has a particular obsession with “relatability.” Numbers can alienate. But if you say “schoolbus-sized asteroid,” suddenly everyone gets a mental image, even if it’s wrong.
There’s also clickbait. Let’s not pretend this isn’t about engagement. “Bus-sized asteroid” just sounds more fun than “10 meters long.” And editors know it. That’s why we get comparisons to whales, trucks, football fields, and even Manhattan.
The Problems Start When You Zoom In
Here’s the thing. Not all fridges are created equal. Not all buses are 12 meters. Not all asteroids are simple shapes. So when news says something is “fridge-sized,” what they really mean is: we don’t know exactly, and we’re hoping you won’t ask.
It becomes a problem when this kind of approximation replaces useful data. Science communication shouldn’t confuse. It should inform, even if that means readers need to stretch a bit to learn new units.
We end up with headlines where a 2-meter rock and a 4-meter rock are both called “fridge-sized.” Or worse, where a 5-tonne payload is compared to a vending machine. What vending machine? One of those slim snack ones or a Coke fridge you need a forklift to move?
What Works Better (And Why We Rarely See It)
The best journalism gives you both: the number and the comparison. “A 2-meter asteroid, roughly the size of a large refrigerator.” That’s not only more precise, it’s more helpful. It tells you something new and makes it stick.
But this takes effort. It means the reporter needs to know both the metric measurement and a reasonably close visual proxy. That’s not always easy. And in fast-paced digital newsrooms where speed matters more than nuance, you get the shortcut instead.
Bonus: Some Real Units We’ve Seen Recently (And A Crazy Converter)
- “Asteroid the size of a giraffe” — in case you’re more familiar with safari wildlife than meters
- “Building-sized” — always helpful, since buildings are famously uniform
- “As long as five London buses” — classic British tabloid unit
- “Half the height of the Eiffel Tower” — at least this one has a known value (300 meters)
- “Twice the weight of a blue whale” — blue whales also vary, but sure
Should We Care?
Yes. Because language shapes perception. When we rely on vague comparisons, we flatten nuance and mislead readers. An asteroid the size of a fridge might sound harmless. One moving at 63,700 km/h? Less so.
And while the occasional object comparison makes science more accessible, it shouldn’t come at the cost of clarity. You can be clever and accurate. We just have to stop pretending a vending machine is a useful unit of volume.
FAQ
Why does American media use objects instead of numbers?
Because objects are familiar, clickable, and easy to visualize. Unfortunately, they’re also inconsistent and imprecise.
Is the metric system more accurate for reporting?
Yes. It offers universal, standard units that avoid ambiguity. You know exactly what 2 meters is—you don’t need to imagine a fridge.
Can we mix both styles?
Absolutely. The best reports do. They provide the number and a visual anchor to help readers process it.
Will the U.S. ever go full metric?
Probably not in our lifetime. But hey, we can dream.