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mongodbgoogle-sheetsexponentiationobjectid

Why is this MongoDB ObjectID infinite in Google spreadsheet?

Type the MongoDB ObjectID 52489e882967060200000283 into a cell in a Google spreadsheet and it's clobbered by ∞. What gives?

Solution

  • See that small e in the middle? Google Sheets is treating this as a number in exponent form. i.e.

    52489 x 10^882967060200000283

    Probably less than the number of subatomic particles in the known universe, but close enough to infinity not to matter.

    Edit: Actually, the number of atoms in the known universe is estimated to be about 1 x 10^82, so this is slightly larger...