Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: The Number 23

May 1, 2019
The allure of the number 23 is explored with humor and curiosity. It pops up frequently in pop culture, particularly in a film featuring Jim Carrey, sparking discussions about numerology's absurdities. The number's historical significance is examined, notably its ties to sports legends like Michael Jordan. Listeners are treated to fascinating coincidences and patterns across culture. Insights into cognitive psychology reveal why certain numbers captivate our imagination, highlighting our tendency to assign meaning where none may exist.
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ANECDOTE

Burroughs' 23

  • William S. Burroughs claimed to have met a Captain Clark in Tangier who'd been accident-free for 23 years.
  • That day, Clark's ship sank, and Burroughs heard a radio report about Flight 23 crashing, also piloted by a Captain Clark.
INSIGHT

Origins of the Obsession

  • Burroughs's obsession with 23 influenced Robert Anton Wilson, co-author of the Illuminatus trilogy.
  • Discordianism, a parody religion, also incorporates 23 as a holy number.
ANECDOTE

Notable 23s

  • The sum of the digits in 1859, the year Darwin's Origin of Species was published, is 23.
  • Kurt Cobain's birth year (1967) and death year (1994) both add up to 23.
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