Alex Bellos · Radio 4 Today programme

Off piste – favourite number

This morning’s Today programme carried a short piece featuring Alex Bellos, author of the highly entertaining Alex’s Adventures in Numberland.
Alex has been asked about his favourite number so many times, he decided to set up an online survey to find out if people have favourite numbers and what they are.
Although he doesn’t have one himself, he’s found that ‘lots of people have favourite numbers. Not only that, they have incredibly strong feelings about favourite numbers.’
Reasons for favourite numbers though seem to divide along the personal/superstitious, such as the day you were born, versus the mathematical, such as prime numbers, for example.
My favourite? Yan-a-bumfit, but to know what it is you need to speak mediaeval Lincolnshire shepherd’s dialect or read Alex’s book!

2 thoughts on “Off piste – favourite number

  1. 'Yan-a-bumfit, but to know what it is you need to speak mediaeval Lincolnshire shepherd’s dialect or read Alex’s book!'

    -or use Google 😉

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