History of 10-10-10
Consider the date October 10, 2010 or for those in Europe and elsewhere 10 October, 2010 depending on where you live. In either case, the numbering of the date is the same: 10-10-10. This kind of numbering hasn’t happened in over a year since 09-09-09, and won’t happen again for at least another year or 11-11-11, making it an epochal event.
For the mathematicians in the audience, the date is Binary for:
[(1) x 25] + [(0) x 24] + [(1) x 23] + [(0) x 22] + [(1) x 21] + [(0) x 20] =
[1 x 32] + [0 x 16] + [1 x 8] + [0 x 4] + [ 1 x 2] + [0 x 1] =
32 + 8 + 2 =
42
…which is, of course, intuitively obvious to the most casual observer — although some do have an on again, off again, on again, off again, on again, off again attitude toward Binary.
“a completely ordinary number, a number not just divisible by two but also six and seven. In fact it’s the sort of number that you could without any fear introduce to your parents.”
But he also pointed out in the 3rd book of his 5-volume science fiction trilogy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that this number was indeed the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Everyone should know this, if not, go type the answer to life, the universe and everything into Google. I’ll wait.
But what is the question itself?
Bill Petro, your favorite neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com
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Love the reference to Douglass Adams and the Hitchhiker. One of my favorite books though I wouldn’t be surprised if his methodology in writing wasn’t to get drunk before writing!
Adams was a proclaimed atheist for most of his life. But his funeral was in an English church (see it on youtube) and I wonder what happened in his end of life process. Maybe a subject for my favorite neighborhood historian.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Evil Stu, Dan Ciruli. Dan Ciruli said: RT @billpetro: New blog Post: History of 10-10-10 at billpetro.com. http://t.co/qzNDE0z // Who knew it was the answer to everything? […]
42 isn’t the only option on the table for “What it’s all about”. It may be the hoochee-koochee.