Happy 10/10/10!

Today is October 10th, 2010, making the abbreviated notation for the date something quite special.  Well, if not special it’s at least a pattern.  And if there’s one thing that the human race likes, it’s patterns.

So what’s in a date?  Well, nothing significant appears to have happened in the next purest form of the date, October 10th, 1010.  It was the dark ages.  And it’s a pretty good bet that nothing all that significant will happen today.

So why is everybody so excited?

Well…

• In binary, 101010 is the number 42.
• 42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.
• So maybe some Vogon spaceships are going to show up and destroy the planet before the Question can be properly formatted.

Also:

• Patterns.  Everybody likes the number 10.  We count in base 10, we’ve got multiple body parts that adhere to a strict set of 10, and we like top 10 lists.

In conclusion: Go read some Power Grids, and join us next year for 11/11/11.

Also known as Veterans Day, 2011.  Patterns, people.