The meaning behind your favorite number
When we talk about numbers on Marketplace, we’re usually talking about their numerical value. But what about their cultural meaning?
That’s the subject of Barnaby Rogerson’s collection, “Rogerson’s Book of Numbers: The Culture of Numbers — from 1,001 Nights to the Seven Wonders of the World“
Here are a few examples from Rogerson:
Thirteen: Often known as an unlucky number – something Rogerson says is true around the world. But it’s also the number of states who rebelled against Britain in the 1770s. Coincidentally, it’s also the number of states recognized by the Confederacy as those rebelling against the Union in the 1860s.
Three: “My father-in-law is a banker who’s been watching the markets all his life … and he always told me that three percent was the magical area of growth … and his job as a banker was to find out how people were getting more than three percent and how long they could sustain it before they were found out.”
Zero: Rogerson’s least favorite number. “You can’t list zeros … you can’t even list nothing-nesses.” Fun fact: The concept of zero or nothingness didn’t get to the British Isles until the 16th century.
Forty-two: Rogerson’s favorite number. Many cultures assign special meaning to the number 42. But it’s also the answer to the Universe, according to Douglas Adams, author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
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