To find the answer, we must first quantify the value of Brad.

So how much is a human life worth? According to research by Stanford economists, a year of human life is worth about $129,000. Wolfram Alpha tells us that the average age of a person named Brad is 35 years, and that the average life expectancy for a human male (worldwide) is about 69 years. Assuming that procuring a loaf of Brad involves cutting down a Brad in his prime, we would be depriving him of 34 years of life - a value of $4,386,000.

Next we must decide if a "loaf" is a unit of volume, or a unit of weight. In the UK, government regulation defines a loaf by weight: 400 grams is a "small" loaf, and 800 grams is a "large" loaf. So let's go with weight, and let's split the difference and assume that we want a medium sized loaf of Brad... that's 600 grams, or about 1.3 pounds.

Since the average weight of a human male is 166 pounds (according to Wolfram Alpha), we can assume that Brad should sell for about $26,421 per pound - which, using our previous loaf weight of 1.3 pounds, sets the price for a loaf of Brad in 2010 at $34,348.

Finally, inflation must be factored in. According to an inflation calculator at westegg.com, what cost $34,348 in 2009 would have cost $8,710.72 in 1975.

Thus, it is safe to say that a loaf of Brad in 1975 could be purchased for $8,710.72.

Additional answers from our users:

Typical of this site, the answer above is very US-centric, when there is no indication in the question as to where the 1975 Brad was to be purchased. Brad - in 1975 - was a rarity in Ireland, and research in the vaults of the Natural History Museum, cross-referenced with the data from the Irish maternity hospitals, show that a loaf of baby-Brad was retailing at £459.25. However, as the questioner has not specified if the Brad in question is an adult or a child, we need to cross-reference again, this time with the League of Irish Undertakers. Their files tell us that - at death - the average Brad cost £2,749.37. Therefore, the answer to the question depends on how mature the Brad in question is required to be. The maturity/price is a sliding scale. This answer - obviously - only applies to Irish Brads. When Ireland joined the European Monetary Union, it became illegal to trade in male humans for fun or profit.

the 1975 Brad was to be purchased. Priceless! - not the loaf, the question!

And a final word of apology to Brad for any inference that he is a loafer.

One Pitt without a Jolly (1975).

We would need to know when in 1975 the loaf of Brad was to be purchased, and where. We would also need to know the number of Brads available at the time of purchase. For example, if the last loaf of Brad were to be purchased from a Brad the day before, we must assume the price of a loaf of Brad would go up (according to the laws of supply and demand). From here, there are a few possibilities: The supply of Brads just dropped, and the demand for a loaf of Brad stays the same. The supply of Brads just dropped, but so does the demand, as one family now has a loaf of Brad. It is very difficult to determine the exact price, so just assume that when you travel back in time to acquire this loaf of Brad you'll need (at the very least) $8,710.72. When you return, please tell us how much you had to pay. Buy it at the most available store, so we can get the general retail price.



(If you would like to know the answer to the question "How much was a loaf of bread in 1975?", click on the Related Question below.)