Why does 1**2**3**4**5 raise a MemoryError?

[Roy Smith]

In article <mailman.4012.1364733818.2939.python-list at python.org>,
 Dave Angel <d at davea.name> wrote:

> I'm typing this while a terminal is open doing the particular operation, 
> and the system doesn't seem in the least sluggish.
> 
> Currently the memory used is at 10gig, and while there are some pauses 
> in my typing, the system has not died.  This is on Linux Ubuntu 12.04.
> 
> At 15gig, there are some blockages, of maybe 5 secs each.

15 gig?  Feh.

> $ prtstat 29937
> Process: mongod            State: S (sleeping)
> [...]
> Memory
>   Vsize:       1998285 MB
>   RSS:         5428 MB
>   RSS Limit: 18446744073709 MB

If I counted the digits right, that 1.9 TB.  I love the RSS Limit.  I'll 
be really impressed when somebody builds a machine with enough RAM to 
reach that :-)