Bizarre science behind why the Eiffel Tower grows every summer as 'six inch' post goes viral

Each time you start scrolling on your phone, you quite literally don't know what you're going to get.

Sometimes it's mind-blowing photos of the Earth that make you existential, while other times it's something more light-hearted.

Well, one particular Instagram post doing this rounds at the moment has certainly given people a chuckle.

And if you're interested in both history and travel, it may have caught your eye too.

We head over to Europe for this one, where a viral post from France Travelers has caught people's attention - and you can really understand why.

Their post claims that iconic Eiffel Tower 'grows six inches every summer due to heat expanding the iron.'

I don't need to point out why it's such an amusing fact. But sadly, it's not actually true.

The iconic tower has added height over the decades - sure - but that’s thanks to antennas bolted on top in 1957, 2000, and once again as recently as 2022.

It’s now 330 meters tall, and that extra height is there year-round. No seasonal growing - or shrinking - involved.

And when you go into the science of it all, turns out, this legendary 'six-inch summer surge' has more in common with locker room exaggeration than the tower's reality.

Disappointing, I know...

According to La Tour Eiffel's website, the warm sunshine does cause its iron frame to expand - but only by a mere 'few millimetres'.

Doing some quick math, there are 152.4 millimeters in six inches - so no, they're not quite the same thing.

As the sun hits one side of the Tower more than the other, it does cause the landmark to tilt ever so slightly.

And the website explains: "The sun’s movement over the course of a clear day can cause the top of the Tower to move in a more or less circular curve measuring approximately 15 centimeters in diameter."

Again, not noticeable unless you're a drone or a very determined pigeon.

As you'd expect, this means the Tower shrinks slightly in cold conditions over winter too.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

The Instagram comments were, well, exactly what you'd expect...

"Call me the Eiffel Tower," one guy remarked, as a second wrote: "I wish I could grow six inches in the summer!"

"We got Eiffel Tower boner before GTA 6," another quipped, as a fourth said: "Guys in the morning."

Turns out the Eiffel Tower is, in fact, a shower and not a grower after all.