# Frequent repeating strings of numbers?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 8, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947 "2006-06-08T20:09:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/1 "2006-06-08T20:09:01Z")
This is something that, no joke, has been an on-going thing with me for several years now.
The numbers 444 show up everywhere. If I happen to be driving down the road, I look over at a car and their license plate has 444 in it. I look at the clock… It’s 4:44… and on and on… I was listening to a Rush song once, its time is 4:44. I mean the list goes on…
Anyone else encounter this… with any set of numbers, or maybe even letters…
Think there’s anything to it?
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### Author:  [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/2 "2006-06-08T20:11:48Z")
[Confirmation bias.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias)
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/3 "2006-06-08T20:14:16Z")
I think it means that you were supposed to get back on the mothership at 4:44 on April 4th, 2004.
Looks like you missed your appointment.
Seriously though, it is probably some form of selective perception
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### Author:  [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/4 "2006-06-08T20:16:30Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#):
>
> [Confirmation bias.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias)
… reads the Wiki page…
… returns to SD…
I have a headache… what did that all just say? O.o
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/5 "2006-06-08T20:16:49Z")
> [@lupine73](#):
>
> Think there’s anything to it?
No.
There are only 1000 combinations of three digits. I see enough cars each day that chances are, if I’m looking, I’ll see any number that I decide to look for in a day or two.
It’s 4:44 twice a day, every day. If I look at the clock at random during my waking hours enough times in a day it’s going to come up 4:44 once in a while.
There’s also the “all of a sudden they’re everywhere” experience. When my wife and I decided to buy a Camry, we started noticing Camrys _ **everywhere** _. Well, you look for something and you’re going to find it.
Have some fun and goggle 444.
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### Author:  [@lupine73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lupine73)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/6 "2006-06-08T20:19:35Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> No.
>
> There are only 1000 combinations of three digits. I see enough cars each day that chances are, if I’m looking, I’ll see any number that I decide to look for in a day or two.
>
> It’s 4:44 twice a day, every day. If I look at the clock at random during my waking hours enough times in a day it’s going to come up 4:44 once in a while.
>
> There’s also the “all of a sudden they’re everywhere” experience. When my wife and I decided to buy a Camry, we started noticing Camrys _ **everywhere** _. Well, you look for something and you’re going to find it.
>
> Have some fun and goggle 444.
Hmm… that’s true. It’s just odd that I happen to be looking in the right place when it occurs. I mean the time is one thing… but when I’m in my car driving along and any of tens of thousands of other cars could be on the road with me, the one with 444 on their license plate just happens to be near me. That’s pretty nutty.
I personally like the Mothership theory… I have had this creeping feeling for the past couple years that I should be somewhere else.
Hmm…
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### Author:  [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/7 "2006-06-08T21:19:39Z")
> [@lupine73](#):
>
> Hmm… that’s true. It’s just odd that I happen to be looking in the right place when it occurs. I mean the time is one thing… but when I’m in my car driving along and any of tens of thousands of other cars could be on the road with me, the one with 444 on their license plate just happens to be near me. That’s pretty nutty.
But you’re not noticing all the times you glance and the license plate _isn’t_ 444. I bet that for every time there’s a 444 on a plate, there are at least a dozen (probably hundreds, but hey) times where it _isn’t_. But since non-444 numbers aren’t what you’re looking for, your brain glosses over them and doesn’t really notice them. The odd times that it sees a 444, it clicks and says, “gee, ANOTHER 444! They’re everywhere!”
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### Author:  [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequent-repeating-strings-of-numbers/359947/8 "2006-06-08T22:52:40Z")
I think you’re just 2/3 possessed, but hey, what do I know? 😃
OK, what I do know is that sometime in 1971 or 1972 my college roommate, his girlfriend, and I looked looked at my clock radio and saw 11:11. To this day, the three of us remain friends and always call each other on November 11th. Since we’re now older than dirt, though, it’s 11:11 AM 😉
We can’t wait for the party we’re going to have on 11/11/11 😃