# Why are we all the same age today 2018 these things add up to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339 "2018-10-02T22:07:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/41 "2018-10-03T22:50:32Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > It will never happen again that if you add your year of birth to your age you will get 2018. So the OP is wrong; it will not happen again in 2000 years. And next year you will be able to add your age to your year of birth and get … 2019. Amazing! Perhaps the calendar will reset to zero at the Second Coming? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/42 "2018-10-04T00:03:40Z")
On the other hand, there are distributions with a perfectly well-defined singular median and mode, but which do not have a mean at all. So if the definition of “average” is that the operation must always result in exactly one output, then the mean isn’t an average either. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/43 "2018-10-04T00:44:53Z")
On a related note, try this: Count the letters in your last name. Multiply it by your age. Add ten. Subtract ten. Divide by your age. You’ll end up with the number of times you’ve seen a lunar eclipse! It really works, and I don’t know why–but only if the number of letters in your name equals the number of times you’ve seen a lunar eclipse. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/44 "2018-10-04T00:49:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It really works, and I don’t know why–but only if the number of letters in your name equals the number of times you’ve seen a lunar eclipse. Not true. It may also work if the number of letters in your name does _not_ equal the number of times you’ve seen an eclipse, and you’re bad at arithmetic. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/45 "2018-10-04T01:27:10Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Not true. It may also work if the number of letters in your name does _not_ equal the number of times you’ve seen an eclipse, and you’re bad at arithmetic. mind=blown ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/46 "2018-10-04T01:31:33Z")
Bill Murray played Peter Venkman in the movies. Lorenzo Music voiced Peter Venkman on TV. Lorenzo Music voiced Garfield the cat on TV. Bill Murray voiced Garfield the cat in the movie. This only happens once every 62957 years. ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/47 "2018-10-04T02:13:31Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > Math is hard. Dunmurry is in the United Kingdom. For him, it’s maths are hard. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/48 "2018-10-04T04:02:08Z")
Since the factual answer to this conundrum was giving in the first reply, and subsequent answers are mostly jokes, let’s move this to MPSIMS. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/49 "2018-10-04T05:12:23Z")
> [@I.Dunno](#): > > Dunmurry is in the United Kingdom. For him, it’s maths are hard. No – in the U.K. (and in Australia) maths is hard, just as (for those who like long words) mathematics is hard. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/50 "2018-10-04T06:10:11Z")
This post is just further evidence that my doomsday phobia is not at all irrational. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/51 "2018-10-04T06:14:48Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > This post is just further evidence that my doomsday phobia is not at all irrational. Time until Doomsday + 2018 = Doomsday! ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/52 "2018-10-04T07:42:40Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > It’s a bit like saying that 40% of sick days are taken on either a Monday or a Friday. 😕 it _might_ be so but there is no reason to assume that it _must_ be so. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/53 "2018-10-04T09:27:48Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > It’s a bit like saying that 40% of sick days are taken on either a Monday or a Friday. Bad math on that example, weeks have more than 5 working days. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/54 "2018-10-04T13:06:31Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Bad math on that example, weeks have more than 5 working days. But most workweeks have exactly 5. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/55 "2018-10-04T13:16:26Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Time until Doomsday + 2018 = Doomsday! How do you know Doomsday hasn’t already occurred? > [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Most of us knew that 2+2 = 4 but how many of us were really aware that 3+1 also = 4? Huh? Cite? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/56 "2018-10-04T13:42:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How do you know Doomsday hasn’t already occurred? The equation still works if Time Until Doomsday is negative. Or even imaginary. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/57 "2018-10-04T14:11:56Z")
So this is really freaking me out. I added the year I was born, my age AND the age I was when I was when born AND STILL GOT 2018! I think I may be the only person where this is true. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/58 "2018-10-04T14:49:54Z")
I once dated a girl named 193. She was prime, but very odd. I swear, she’s real. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/59 "2018-10-04T14:58:38Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Bad math on that example, weeks have more than 5 working days. And even if they didn’t there is absolutely no reason to suspect that the sick days will be evenly spread over a 5-day working week. In fact, I rather suspect there will be a greater incidence of sick days either side of the week-end well bugger me, [this seems to be the case.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8347332.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/60 "2018-10-04T15:08:20Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > 😕 it _might_ be so but there is no reason to assume that it _must_ be so. > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > And even if they didn’t there is absolutely no reason to suspect that the sick days will be evenly spread over a 5-day working week. > In fact, I rather suspect there will be a greater incidence of sick days either side of the week-end > > well bugger me, [this seems to be the case.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8347332.stm) Whoosh. It’s a joke, son. 40% is supposed to seem like a lot, a huge percentage of the week, to somebody who hears the claim and doesn’t bother to work out what it’s saying. All it does is assume a five-day Monday to Friday work week and that one-fifth of the workers call in sick on any average day. Whether that’s true in reality is completely irrelevant. The point is that people don’t in fact take the time to work out number claims, which makes it another good example of the word play that tricked the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339.md?page=4)