Once, when I was in the 5th grade, there was a jelly-bean counting contest at the local library. The jellybeans were in a jar that was roughly cylindrical. I c

Once, when I was in the 5th grade, there was a jelly-bean counting contest at the local library. The jellybeans were in a jar that was roughly cylindrical. I counted the rough radius of the jar in 1-dimensional linear_jellybean units, as well as the height of the bean-filled part. Using the formula for the volume of the cylinder, I guessed the volume, in linear_jellybean^3 units. Through the sheer coincidence that a jellybean's volume is roughly 1 linear_jellybean^3, I got within 25 or so jellybeans of the correct count, winning the grand prize. I walked away with a bunch of books, and the jar of jellybeans. I'm glad, that unlike in the story presented by this article, the CIA and the FBI did not get involved in the act, since I used method and cunning as opposed to dumb luck. Maybe it was just a matter of the dollar value at stake. This is the only time in my entire life that I had to use the geometrical formula for volume of anything for a practical purpose. As I type this I realize that each of those jellybeans was manhandled by someone during the counting process. I wonder if they used gloves.