Hand-waving and estimation are out, and measurement is in. With the right scale, researchers can measure just about anything--even things traditionally considered too vague to quantify. In the slideshow below, we present ten of the most unusual and interesting scales, whether the weirdness comes from what they measure or how they do it.
Maybe you've heard of the Kinsey Scale of human sexuality, but how about the Kardashev Scale of advanced civilization? How about the Waffle House Index of disaster response and the Riddle Scale of homophobia? Click through to see more--you can even rate your favorites using our own scale.
Unusual Scientific Scales
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