DCLXVI

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sainte_Chapelle_01.JPG — Image: Wikimedia Commons

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia is fear of the number 666, which is linked to Satan and the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation.

Unfortunately, it’s rather hard to avoid. 666 is the sum of the squares of the first seven primes:

666 = 2² + 3² + 5² + 7² + 11² + 13² + 17²

Also:

666 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 567 + 89

= 123 + 456 + 78 + 9

= 9 + 87 + 6 + 543 + 21

= 1³ + 2³ + 3³ + 4³ + 5³ + 6³ + 5³ + 4³ + 3³ + 2³ + 1³

In 1989, after his second term as president, Ronald and Nancy Reagan moved to a new home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles. They had the address, 666 St. Cloud Road, changed to 668 St. Cloud Road.

May 13, 2007July 19, 2013 | Religion · Science & Math

Math Notes

10² + 11² + 12² = 13² + 14²

May 8, 2007May 8, 2007 | Science & Math

More Magic

If this magic square worked upside down, this one works when reversed, “mirrorwise”:

96	64	37	45
39	43	98	62
84	76	25	57
23	59	82	78

54	73	46	69
26	89	34	93
75	52	67	48
87	28	95	32

May 5, 2007September 2, 2014 | Science & Math

Fancy That

31415926535897932384626433832795028841 is a prime number.

It’s also the first 38 digits of pi.

April 30, 2007April 30, 2007 | Science & Math

“Self-Locating” Strings

In the decimal expansion for pi, the digits 16470 appear in position 16,470.

And the digits 44899 appear in position 44,899.

April 25, 2007April 25, 2007 | Science & Math

Math Notes

37 = 3² + 7² – 3 × 7 = (3³ + 7³)/(3 + 7)

April 18, 2007April 18, 2007 | Science & Math

Cosmic Irony

In 1961, astronaut Gus Grissom nearly drowned after a splashdown when his Mercury capsule opened prematurely. He recommended making the hatch more secure.

Eight years later he died when Apollo 1 caught fire. The hatch had prevented his escape.

April 17, 2007November 17, 2010 | Death · Science & Math