# Are there numbers that pop up everywhere? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761 "2001-01-06T22:05:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/1 "2001-01-06T22:05:35Z")
It seems to me, especially recently, that the numbers 5 and 8 appear together alllllll the time! Does anyone else notice it? With any other numbers? Or am I just noticing it because I am somewhat concious of it? ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/2 "2001-01-06T22:18:15Z")
–\>\<– ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/3 "2001-01-06T22:24:13Z")
Maybe they’re, you know, involved. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/4 "2001-01-07T00:03:51Z")
I dunno, 1s and 0s seem to be really popular with the computer crowd. Is this a conspiracy, or what? ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/5 "2001-01-07T01:54:48Z")
1. Be on guard. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/6 "2001-01-07T02:13:36Z")
1. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Caesar0211](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caesar0211](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caesar0211)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/7 "2001-01-07T04:42:29Z")
Well, if you go biblical, the numbers 7,12 and 40 appear a LOT! ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/8 "2001-01-07T04:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HerMajestyLorna \* > \*\*It seems to me, especially recently, that the numbers 5 and 8 appear together alllllll the time! Does anyone else notice it? With any other numbers? Or am I just noticing it because I am somewhat concious of it? \*\* Omigod! Now that you mention it, I see that my 8 key is right next to the 5 key on my keypad! And on my phones! And on my calculators! AAUUGGHH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/9 "2001-01-07T05:28:01Z")
Well, it all comes down to the law of fives. See, 5 is a mystical number, being the number of fingers on a hand, toes on a foot, etc. It breaks down into 2 and 3, which are the basic mystical numbers because they combine to form 5. Take 5 and 8. Subtract 5 from 8 and you get 3. So we have a 5, another 5, and a 3. That’s 2 5s. If you wanted, you could subtitute the number 2 for the 2 5s. Add it to the 3 and what do you get? 5! ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/10 "2001-01-07T05:29:17Z")
Oh yeah, and my area code is 518. ---
**Author:** ![orion007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@orion007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orion007)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/11 "2001-01-07T05:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by woodstockbirdybird \* > \*\*47. Be on guard. \*\* :eek: There it is again, damnit! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/12 "2001-01-07T15:30:32Z")
For me, it’s the numbers 1 - 3 - 7, and occasionally 0, in any combination. This came from my Mom’s lottery-playing days and driving around playing certain numbers on “hunches”: I would invariably see these things POP out at me. ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/13 "2001-01-08T01:33:25Z")
And this just in: 5+8=13 Friday is the 5th day. There is no 8th day. Spooky… ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/14 "2001-01-08T02:30:16Z")
… and I was born on May eighth … 5 and 8 !!! ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/15 "2001-01-08T02:32:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheThill \* > \*\*And this just in: > > 5+8=13 > > Friday is the 5th day. > > There is no 8th day. > > Spooky… \*\* Then what were the Beatles singing about in “8 Days A Week”? … maybe its another Paul-is-Dead clue? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/16 "2001-01-08T03:00:50Z")
I don’t know about all that nimber stuff. All I know is that my laundry is done. (Ahh…clean sheets!) ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/17 "2001-01-08T03:08:57Z")
**42** Six times nine. Forty-two. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/18 "2001-01-08T03:31:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tzel \* > \*\*Oh yeah, and my area code is 518. \*\* Mine too. ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/19 "2001-01-08T04:59:00Z")
The number that keeps popping up in my life is 12. I have adopted it as my own. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-numbers-that-pop-up-everywhere/48761/20 "2001-01-08T06:44:12Z")
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