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by ucaetano 3933 days ago
The same concept applies to animal (and plant, building, structure, etc.) size: weight varies with the cube of the "size", while the cross-section of the supporting structures (trunk, legs, etc.) varies with the square.

So the relationship "weight/supported weight" increases with size, to the point where it won't support itself.

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More directly, the heat generation/dissipation relation applies to buildings. Larger buildings need heating systems less and cooling systems more - famously, the Mall of America does not have an explicit heating system, since internal business activity is more than enough.