Something fun from the archives:
Here’s a fun game to play while you’re on a plane that is beginning its descent: see how early—that is, how many minutes and seconds before the plane lands—that you can see a human being on the ground. Evidence of a human doing something doesn’t count; moving cars are a lot easier to see than an actual person out and about. This game can be played competitively or solo, where you try to beat your best time.
Generally, this can be played around the time the landing gear are lowered, because prior to that the plane is simply too high to allow you to see people. But be aware that this is surprisingly hard; I initially thought that parking lots were a good place to look—people walking to and from their cars should be easily spotted—but it's hard to rely on finding people going to their vehicles. Baseball diamonds and football fields are much better.
Of course, there are complications when it comes to comparing one's performance, such as during differing weather conditions or times of the day. Scoring those details are left as an exercise to the reader.
Happy searching!
Top image: lady_lbrty/Flickr/CC-licensed
