Mathematical Improbability
Today's date is 05/05/05, a date which happens every thousand years (as does every repeating digit date, but nevermind). The next 05/05/05 will be in the year 3005...on May 5th. Odd, huh?
Now, the really odd fact is that today is a thursday, the fifth day of the week. What you might presume is that 05/05/05 happening on day 5 is something that would happen every 7000 years (1000 years times 7 days). But you'd be wrong.
Because of leap years, every fourth year is 1 day longer. So 05/05/05 on day 5 should happen every 7000 years times 4, or 28000 years, right?
Wrong again.
It's actually every 8000 years, because the weeks cycle on 8-day patterns (believe it or not) with the addition of leap years to the equation.
You'll be glad you know this the next time this happens - Thursday, May 5th, 10005.
Today's date is 05/05/05, a date which happens every thousand years (as does every repeating digit date, but nevermind). The next 05/05/05 will be in the year 3005...on May 5th. Odd, huh?
Now, the really odd fact is that today is a thursday, the fifth day of the week. What you might presume is that 05/05/05 happening on day 5 is something that would happen every 7000 years (1000 years times 7 days). But you'd be wrong.
Because of leap years, every fourth year is 1 day longer. So 05/05/05 on day 5 should happen every 7000 years times 4, or 28000 years, right?
Wrong again.
It's actually every 8000 years, because the weeks cycle on 8-day patterns (believe it or not) with the addition of leap years to the equation.
You'll be glad you know this the next time this happens - Thursday, May 5th, 10005.
posted by Brian at 4:18 PM
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