little blob synergy bonus

MATH PROBLEM (posed by HGR):

big blob makes 100 cookies per hour. Each little blob makes cookies at a base rate of 1 per hour, with a 2% synergy bonus for each little blob in the stack. How many little blobs does it take to make the same number of cookies per hour as big blob?

1. This is a quadratic equation! L little blobs will make L (1 + 0.02L) cookies per hour.
2. I didn’t think I could remember the quadratic equation. But after a bit of concentration, I started to hear the song in my head and turned off my music so I could hear the song all the way and write down the equation. I still got it.
3. The answer is 50.
4. Innumeracy at work: Before solving the equation, I guessed it would be around 70. Little blobs are better than I thought!

(Also, if you have multiple big blobs, they do not get a synergy bonus. There’s actually a synergy penalty because they will bump into each other in the kitchen and also stand around and chat.)