Once upon a time, when the Syfy Channel could spell, they had a show called Trailer Park. As the name implies, they showed old sci-fi and horror movie trailers, typically from the 1950's and 60's. At the end of each episode they'd have some commentary from one of a rotation of guest speakers. His job was to offer a sobering perspective or witty insight into what we'd just seen on the show. I think it was an episode about apocalyptic movies where he offered this little story about a physicist giving a lecture on the sun.
My memory is a little fuzzy, but here's the best I can do at retelling it.
A physicist was giving a lecture on the makeup of the sun. At one point, he explained that in 5 billion years, the sun would expand to a red giant, possibly consuming the earth in the process, if not at least making life intolerable for whatever would survive. He was interrupted by someone in the audience who seemed rather panicked when they asked, "How soon!?" Thinking he'd maybe given out the wrong number, he restated, "5 billion years." The audience member breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "I'm sorry, I thought you said 5 MILLION years."
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