}

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

090909

I’m not into numerology or anything else supernatural, so the arrangement of numbers in the date today doesn’t really “mean” anything to me. But I do admire symmetry of numbers, so the fact that the nines line up so nicely today is kinda cool. I guess I’m easily amused.

In any event, I read some stuff about how other cultures find the sequence auspicious in some way or other that I don’t really relate to. And I saw this:

“Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9. Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.”

My primary school must’ve been deficient because I never learned that. Actually, maybe I was taught it and it didn’t stick—I am and always have been absolutely shocking at anything to do with mathematics (unless I can use my computer or, at least, a calculator; then I can get by).

So while the number sequence has no particular significance for me, metaphysical or otherwise, I nevertheless like the symmetry of it. And whether the next single-digit sequence happens January 01, 2101 or not until January 01, 3001 doesn’t bother me at all: I’m not likely to see either. However, I do expect to be here for 10/10/10—unless my number’s up, of course.

2 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Actually, I DID learn the powerfulness of nine. And wghen you had a 5 or 6 or 8-digit number, you could tell right away whether it was divisible by nine when seeking the lowest common denominator. BTW, numbers divisible by 3 always add up to 3 or 6 or 9.

Arthur Schenck said...

I always thought 9 was a nice number (though not my favourite). I still wonder if I was taught anything about the magic of number 9, but I can't remember at all.