On 08-08-08: Fascination with Eight

Ever since I was, well, Eight years old, I've had an affinity for the number 8.  I could not think of a better occasion to take a closer look at the number...

...At 8 minutes after 8:AM on the eighth day of the eighth month of the year, 2008, I bring you several interesting pieces of information and a few personal reflections on eight, which, as you will see, range from educational to frighteningly fascinating...

Before sharing my unique experience with 8, I'll begin with some interesting things I discovered simply by doing a little research for this post:

Mathematics & Numerology:

• 8 is the base of the octal number system, which is mostly used with computers.  In octal, one digit represents 3 bits.  In modern computers, a byte is a grouping of eight bits, also called an octet.
• The number 8 is generally considered to be an auspicious number by numerologists.  The square of any odd number, less one, is always a multiple of 8 (for example, 9 - 1 = 8, 25 - 1 = 8 x 3, 49 - 1 = 8 x 6), a fact that can be proved mathematically.
• A fallen or lying down 8, in mathematics, is used to represent infinity (an 8-letter word that has always fascinated me).  This interpretation of 8 may be related to the representation of the caduceus (where two snakes form several figure eights) as stability or balance of opposing forces.

Chinese Significance:

• The word for 8 in Chinese sounds similar to their word for "prosper" or "wealth."
• An estimated 9,000 couples in China will wed on 08/08/08. 
• The Summer Olympics (an 8-letter word), in Beijing China, are scheduled to begin at 8/8/08 at 08:08PM.
• In China , just as the number 7 determines the life of a woman, 8 determines that of a man (more of this on my personal life further in the post):  A boy gets his milk teeth at 8 months, loses them at 8 years, reaches puberty at 2 x 8 = 16, and loses sexual virility at 8 x 8 = 64.
• The I Ching, which describes a system of divination using yarrow stalks, involves 64 = 8 x 8 configurations.

Personal Experience (Life Cycles of 8):

• I was born on 4/16:  4 is a factor of 8 and is half of 8; 16 is a multiple of 8 and is twice that of 8.
• My first fascination with 8 began when I was 8-years old.
• I started playing baseball (an 8-letter word and my first passion) when I was 8:  I randomly chose 8 as my jersey number, which remained the same throughout my baseball-playing life, which lasted for 8 years to age 16.  Oh yeah, I played many different positions, all but one (1st base), which means I played 8 positions at least once during those 8 years.
• At 16, I started my next passion, which was music.  I played bass guitar, which is a 4-string instrument (a factor of 8) in various rock bands for, you guessed it, 8 years.
• At 24, I met the beautiful and electric woman who was to become my wife.  8 years later, our first child was born.
• Here's where it gets frighteningly fascinating, at least for me:  While doing the research for this post I thought to myself; The current 8-year cycle of my life will end next year, when I turn 40.  How many months and days will pass from today, 08/08/08, to my birthday next year on 04/16? 

8 months and 8 days...

Comments

[Next Gen Politics]

Wow! Amazing article! Kind of spooky. When I was in Eighth grade my math teacher had us do a calculation based on birthday that would detirmine which days would be good or bad. I think now that would cause a local uproar, but at the time I thought it was fascinating. Keep up the good posts.

Jerame Clough
-Next Gen Politics

[The Financial Philosopher]

Jerame:

I did feel a bit "spooked" when I discovered my birthday was 8 months and 8 days after 08/08/08, especially knowing the number's significance in my life thus far!

With that said, however, I am not highly supersticious and I would not hyper-intentionally make plans based solely upon the number 8.

Other than this post, I did take one small action on 08/08/08 that could turn into something larger later. I'll let you know what happens!

Thanks for the comment...

Kent

[David]

Huh, interesting coincidences. I think it's fascinating to uncover or stumble upon that kind of stuff.

It's funny, to this day when I hear someone mention 8/8, as a Chicagoan I automatically think back to 8/8/88, the date of the first night game at Wrigley Field.

By the way, Kent, it seems like we are fellow Aries. Our birthdays are a couple of days apart (4/14).