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What’s so special about today? It’s a palindrome [Same Forward and Backward]
Boston Globe ^ | 2 January 2010 | Emma Stickgold

Posted on 01/02/2010 8:37:01 AM PST by Fractal Trader

Thoreau never had one during his lifetime. Neither did George Washington nor Albert Einstein. Today in the United States, which uses the month/day/year format for dates, there is a rare chance to celebrate a palindrome date - 01/02/2010 - which reads the same forward as it does backward.

Discuss COMMENTS (40) Jan. 2, 2010, is the second such date out of 36 that occurs this millennium. The first was 10/02/2001.

Aziz Inan, a University of Portland electrical engineering professor, has been studying this phenomenon and speaks with great enthusiasm as he describes the history of palindrome dates.

Before 2001, he excitedly pointed out in an interview yesterday, the most recent was in 1308, since days of the month never exceed 31. The next date comes next year: 11/02/2011.

In much of the rest of the world, today’s date appears as day/month/year, or 02/01/2010. But for inhabitants of these countries, rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate even more than our paltry 36: they will get 60 between 2001 and 3000, Inan says.

“Once you put the day in front of the month, everything changes for the rest of the world,’’ said Inan, who is working on academic papers on the subject.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: happynewyear; palindrome
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To: Fractal Trader
“Once you put the day in front of the month, everything changes for the rest of the world,’’ said Inan, who is working on academic papers on the subject.

I wouldn't doubt he's working on a government grant.

41 posted on 01/02/2010 10:05:04 AM PST by Fresh Wind ("...a whip of political correctness strangles their voice"-Vaclav Klaus on GW skeptics)
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To: RegulatorCountry

LOL!


42 posted on 01/02/2010 10:10:08 AM PST by Don W (I keep some people's numbers in my phone so I know not to answer when they call)
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To: proxy_user

>> But not in the UK, where today is 02/01/2010.

That’s an Obamadrome.


43 posted on 01/02/2010 10:12:34 AM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: Fractal Trader
Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?

More!!!

44 posted on 01/02/2010 10:13:10 AM PST by Young Werther ( ("Quae Cum Ita Sunt - Julius Caesar "Since these things are so!"))
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To: Bryanw92

As the offspring of a uni professor, “nothing but free time” on their hands is not a common occurrence. My guess is this is his hobby. The guy’s an EE, for pete’s sake.


45 posted on 01/02/2010 10:25:38 AM PST by FourPeas (Why does Professor Presbury's wolfhound, Roy, endeavour to bite him?)
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To: Bryanw92
May I ask what you have against uni professors? Many may be liberal wackos, but they still have things that enthuse them that don't involve anti-Americanism or government money.
46 posted on 01/02/2010 10:28:57 AM PST by FourPeas (Why does Professor Presbury's wolfhound, Roy, endeavour to bite him?)
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To: Jim 0216
1308 doesn’t come out right. Here’s what I come up with:

Last palindrome of last millennium:

09/31/1390

So, actually it's: 08/31/1208

47 posted on 01/02/2010 10:32:15 AM PST by FourPeas (Why does Professor Presbury's wolfhound, Roy, endeavour to bite him?)
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To: Jim 0216

Oops, sorry. Apparently I somehow fat fingered by View Replies. Eeeek.


48 posted on 01/02/2010 10:34:11 AM PST by FourPeas (Why does Professor Presbury's wolfhound, Roy, endeavour to bite him?)
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To: Fractal Trader

Showed this to my 10 year old.

“Cool daddy, notice it’s also the same upside down?”

No, I didn’t.


49 posted on 01/02/2010 10:47:34 AM PST by IAMIUBU
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To: FourPeas

I think last palindrome date from last millennium was 08/31/1380.


50 posted on 01/02/2010 10:53:41 AM PST by Jim W N
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To: Fractal Trader

Cool.


51 posted on 01/02/2010 11:14:54 AM PST by El Sordo
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To: El Sordo

On another note, 2010 itself is rare in that the last two digits are the same as the first two when divided by two. Call this a semigram.

Other semigram years: 1809, 1608, 1407, 1206, 1005.

Next semigram year: 2211.

Sick, I know.


52 posted on 01/02/2010 11:25:16 AM PST by cicero2k
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To: Doomonyou

I don’t get it.


53 posted on 01/02/2010 11:28:25 AM PST by jackibutterfly
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To: Doomonyou

Oh, never mind, I do.


54 posted on 01/02/2010 11:29:03 AM PST by jackibutterfly
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To: cicero2k

But an awesome kind of sick!


55 posted on 01/02/2010 11:35:19 AM PST by El Sordo
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To: Fractal Trader
Thoreau never had one during his lifetime. Neither did George Washington nor Albert Einstein.

Explains a lot.

56 posted on 01/02/2010 11:41:09 AM PST by paulycy (AMERICA: Less safe. Less free. More broke.)
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To: Jim 0216

LOL! One good typo deserve another, eh?


57 posted on 01/02/2010 11:59:56 AM PST by FourPeas (Why does Professor Presbury's wolfhound, Roy, endeavour to bite him?)
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To: Doomonyou

>>>A man, a plan, a canal, Panama<<<

Ah I see you already beat me to it, so I’ll have to formulate a new one in its stead:

“May Art at a deli: Obama boiled a tat’r, a yam.”


58 posted on 01/02/2010 12:23:02 PM PST by XEHRpa
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To: goodnesswins
a palindrome
At first...I thought this was another article about Sarah PALIN!
My first thought? Your own special day - go Sarah!

59 posted on 01/02/2010 12:45:56 PM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (DRAFT PALIN)
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To: Jim 0216

12/02/2021


60 posted on 01/02/2010 12:50:49 PM PST by behzinlea
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