Now you finally have an answer to one of the most unanswerable questions. | Shutterstock

March 12, 2024

It is one of the most fascinating questions of our lifetime. It is a question that, while it may have no definite answer, has baffled people with its rhetorical quandary. No, it is not “what is the meaning of life?” or “are we alone in the universe?” It is far more expansive: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? 

While my father continuously posed this question to my 7-year-old self for reasons I never understood, I always tried to formulate an answer. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized woodchucks don’t actually eat wood. I guess I never gave much thought to the “if” in the sentence. However, it turns out someone did apply some scientific reasoning to the query and came up with an answer. 

In 1988, New York Fish and Wildlife technician Richard Thomas noted that the average woodchuck burrows about 35 square feet of dirt to form its home. Given that the average square foot of soil weights 20 pounds, Thomas deduced a woodchuck would chuck 700 pounds of wood. Not sure if that is daily or a one-and-done thing, but it is a logical answer nonetheless. One of life’s mysteries has finally been solved! 

Now, chow down on some of this RTO Insider news.

From everyone at RTO Insider, thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your day! 

Shawn McFarland  

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• 3/12/24: MISO Interconnection Process Working Group Meeting
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