I had one of those job interviews once. Got asked why manhole covers were round, and how I'd go about estimating the number of gas stations in the city.

I think those types of estimating questions are called Fermi problems. Fortunately, I had learned about them in physics class. Less fortunately, I forgot why manhole covers are round.

[link]

Dana, I think they are round probably for many reasons -- tradition at this point. Also, you wouldn't have to orient them a specific way when you put them back in so it would be easier. I've also heard that they don't fall in on themselves.

But I'd guess that the question is designed to show how you think more than whether or not you know the right answer.

I would assume because the lack of corners reduces the formation of cracks at the edges of the hole in the pavement.

I've also heard that they don't fall in on themselves.

Yeah, that was the answer I couldn't remember.

I don't even remember what that interview was for now.

For Jesse's grandmother: [link]

But I'd guess that the question is designed to show how you think more than whether or not you know the right answer.

The one I heard in an NPR story about -- I think -- interviewing at Google was "What would you charge to wash all the windows in downtown LA (or other big city)?"

Their example of a "good" answer was something like "Ten bucks a window," instead of trying to think of a ginormous amount for all the windows, inclusive.

I would never have thought of that.

I forced myself to go to the gym. Now I'm tired and ravenously hungry, and yet curiously I'm not in the kitchen making dinner.

I could heat up vegetable barley soup. I could cook some pasta and top it with already prepared bolognese sauce. I could make caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes. Or a salad. Or roast some brussels sprouts.

For Jesse's grandmother: [link].

She would be so good on that blog! My grandmother has excellent style, still.

I would never have thought of that.

I can't claim to be Google bright (uh, I interviewed, it didn't work out, but it's obvious I wasn't applying for the job I thought I was), but that's totally the only answer that occurred to me. I was wondering about a bulk discount, but the big ish is...how would I know what's competitive for a single window? It would also take me forever to decide how many basketballs could fit in a given room, because...WTF? I touched a basketball once. I'm not sure how big they are.

Would "I'm afraid of heights and I would never wash skyscraper windows" be a bad answer? Because that would probably be all I could think of. Lordy.

Jesses grandma seems awesome, and I love the little old lady style blog! I wanna be that fierce at that age!