Hello, I am a professor of mathematics and I am here to tell you that there is nothing at all to this 23 business. Though the mysticism surrounding this theory dates back as far as 1013, in the writings of the Abbott of Durrow upon Essex, these ideals were firmly put down in the extensive exploration of mystical numbers in the voluminous works of Aldus Linnaeus Carolus III in 1593 after five years of exhaustive study. Published in seventeen chapters in five subsections in a single volume, the number 23 phenomenon was dealt with in at least three different places in two of the chapters. In chapter three, paragraph seven, he begins a long diatribe on the relative occurrence of twos, threes and fives and various combinations thereof in comparison to three other numbers, randomly chosen, and their relative combinations. Using the historical records kept by the monks of Westminster Abbey of a period of one hundred years prior to the publishing date of the book he combined numbers found in significant dates using multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, as well as exponents and squares to determine whether or not there was a preponderance of occurrences of the 23 set over the control set. After finding no special occurrences he repeated the experiment with four more sets, checking his computations two times.
The conclusion was that there was no significance to the number 23 at all. Aldus found it interesting that the more intriguing irrational numbers that were found to be constants in geometry and nature, such pi and phi (consider many later constants used in physics) were largely overlooked in the various mystical numbers revered.
Aldus held the position of Master of Mathematics at Trinity College for 46 years. His findings were controversial and ultimately divided the department in half.
Further studies into the occult of numerology also proved fruitless from any mathematical or scientific standpoint. However, the occult in general became quite fashionable amongst the aristocracy of Europe in the 19th century. Though many books were written on the subject in the last four decades of the nineteenth century, about two thirds of the books reviewed contained no scientific data whatsoever. Of the books that tried to provide scientific backing for claims of extra-ordinary numbers, none came close to making a compelling argument that any set of numbers had any greater importance in physics, math, or history than any other, as compared to a control set of randomly chosen numbers (Jenson 1904). Growth patterns in nature did show a generalized relationship to phi, one half plus the square root of 5 divided by 2 (or 1.618), however it was not locally true, in that any precise measurement of an organic material would give you an incorrect answer for phi-- it was seen as an ideal state of growth, first by the Greeks.
A fundamental tenet of discordianism holds true however: if you look for it, you will find it. However, according to studies referenced, one could say the same about any set of numbers chosen. The other conclusion arrived at through this study is the fact that if you can think of it, it can become a religion.
The conclusion was that there was no significance to the number 23 at all. Aldus found it interesting that the more intriguing irrational numbers that were found to be constants in geometry and nature, such pi and phi (consider many later constants used in physics) were largely overlooked in the various mystical numbers revered.
Aldus held the position of Master of Mathematics at Trinity College for 46 years. His findings were controversial and ultimately divided the department in half.
Further studies into the occult of numerology also proved fruitless from any mathematical or scientific standpoint. However, the occult in general became quite fashionable amongst the aristocracy of Europe in the 19th century. Though many books were written on the subject in the last four decades of the nineteenth century, about two thirds of the books reviewed contained no scientific data whatsoever. Of the books that tried to provide scientific backing for claims of extra-ordinary numbers, none came close to making a compelling argument that any set of numbers had any greater importance in physics, math, or history than any other, as compared to a control set of randomly chosen numbers (Jenson 1904). Growth patterns in nature did show a generalized relationship to phi, one half plus the square root of 5 divided by 2 (or 1.618), however it was not locally true, in that any precise measurement of an organic material would give you an incorrect answer for phi-- it was seen as an ideal state of growth, first by the Greeks.
A fundamental tenet of discordianism holds true however: if you look for it, you will find it. However, according to studies referenced, one could say the same about any set of numbers chosen. The other conclusion arrived at through this study is the fact that if you can think of it, it can become a religion.