number nerdery

The expansion of the universe manifests in odd ways.

From The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979):

. . . two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and nine [276709 = 17·41·397] to one against.

By a totally staggering coincidence, that is also the telephone number of an Islington flat . . .

I’m fairly sure that the number in the recent movie had more digits than that, beginning with 20, which since 2000 April 22 is the code for greater London.

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2 Responses to number nerdery

  1. For the record, in the Radio Series, it was two to the power of two hundred and sixty seven thousand, seven hundred and nine to one against.

    And in the BBC miniseries, the number is given as 01 226 0199

  2. Anton says:

    267709 = 13 · 20593

    2260199 = 997 · 2267

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