We know that the ancestors of birds were dinosaurs, so did these ancient giant creatures walk around counting the leaves on the trees? Because it turns out that some birds–pigeons, to be precise–are excellent at math. When it comes to counting, they match the ability of chimps.
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The date of 11:11:11—Is it lucky? (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show).
Physicist Eric Carlson has made a special study of numerology. He thinks that one of the reasons people might think so repetition, and says, "Our brains are just pattern matching machines, so we tend to notice patterns like that. If you happen to glance at the clock and it’s 11:11, you will remember that–these patterns stick in our minds. But I don’t think there is any mystical significance to it.
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Friday the 13th makes those of us who believe in luck a bit nervous. And today is only the first of THREE Friday the 13ths this year. Mathematician Thomas Fernsler says, “I know more than probably anybody really wants to know about [the number 13].” For instance, a year, like 2009, with a triple set of Fridays falling on the 13th typically only comes around every 11 years. Also, the 13th day of the month is more likely to fall on a Friday than any other day of the week.
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