Wednesday, August 4, 2010

46

(This was meant to explain why I always had 46 frendz on FB (which has changed since then :)


The Rule of 46 was Michael Crichton's idea, actually, in The Andromeda Strain (1969).
He called it the Rule of 48, but it could have been the other way. The rule states: "All scientists are blind".
Scientists counted the human chromosomes throughout the '40s and '50s and always came up with 48 chromosomes. Until someone counted them again and said, hey, they're 46. So all the others counted them again and they had to admit that, well, there were only 46 of them.
Known fact.

What is not a known fact is that 46 is the absolute mystical number of all times.
Check out mystical numbers on your favourite internet sources and you'll find that all the ancient mystical numerologists never came up with 46. Never.
Which shows you how much they knew. Even if they hadn't been blind anyway.
AND taking the piss...

Why is 46 the absolute mystical number? Well, take a hint from Crichton's rule, it's the number of Man. When we are conceived, 23 chromosomes from the mother combine with 23 from the father to make a 46, which defines us.
The absolute magical mystical moment of our lives, some nine month or so before we are born (which could also give you a few hints on now much astrology is worth as relating to magical mystical moments).

46 is also a great number for me because it is the number of this guy, the greatest rider of all times*, and those of you who know me a little in real life know what motorcycles are for me, especially my Ducati, Amanda.

Footnote:
Q: - So how did Douglas Adams (whose initials were DNA, Douglas Noel Adams) miss 46, and use 42 as the number for Life, the Universe, and Everything?
A: - Well, first of all L,U&E are a bit bigger than Man, and the he obviously wanted a meaningless number, so I don't think he missed it at all. If he missed anything, it was the ground.

* I personally met Giacomo Agostini, and although I consider him the greatest of all times before Valentino, I think Valentino got him, and by quite a bit.

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