The Number 11

I seem to be haunted by the number 11. I have found the time 11:11 is almost magical and continually appearing, it happens to follow me where and when ever I am– 11:11 – it plays peek-a-boo of sorts and usually I find it right at the right moment – but today I lay in wait to pay tribute  -   As this is the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year, at exactly 11:11, I tribute with this post an Ode to Eleven, Eleven, Eleven at Eleven, Eleven.  Enjoy the findings.

The Number Eleven:  (from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_(number) and http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=eleven)

• Eleven is the first number which cannot be counted with a human's eight fingers and two thumbs additively.
• In English, it is the smallest positive integer requiring three syllables and the largest prime number with a single-morpheme name.
• Its etymology originates from a Germanic compound ainlif meaning "one left".).
• It is also the second number in the "teens."
• If a number is divisible by 11, reversing its digits will result in another multiple of 11. As long as no two adjacent digits of a number added together exceed 9, then multiplying the number by 11, reversing the digits of the product, and dividing that new number by 11, will yield a number that is the reverse of the original number. (For example: 142,312 x 11 = 1,565,432. 2,345,651 / 11 = 213,241.)
• Because it has a reciprocal of unique period length among primes, 11 is the second unique prime. 11 goes into 99 exactly 9 times, so vulgar fractions with 11 in the denominator have two digit repeating sequences in their decimal expansions. Multiples of eleven by one-digit numbers all have matching double digits: 00 (=0), 11, 22, 33, 44, etc.
• Bob Dorough, in his Schoolhouse Rock song "The Good Eleven", called them "Double-digit doogies" (soft g).
• Eleven is the Aliquot sum of one number, the discrete semi prime 21 and is the base of the 11-aliquot tree.
• As 11 is the smallest factor of the first eleven terms of the Euclid–Mullin sequence, it is the twelfth term.
• An eleven-sided polygon is called a hendecagon or undecagon.

So I looked up 11:11 and seeing elevens and little did I know, that these numbers play significance to many – apparently I am not the only one noticing this beautiful yet haunting, palindrome – and there are many ideas about the coincidence of seeing these numbers repeated – enjoy the phenomenon:

• Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than can be explained by chance or coincidence.  This belief is related to the concept of synchronicity. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11:11_(numerology)
• “Are you being stalked by a number? Not just any number, but the number 11? If you are, then you are experiencing the strange 11:11 phenomenon. It is one that defies all logic. Everyday, millions of people are mysteriously propelled to look at the time at exactly 11 minutes past the hour. And the numbers show up wherever they go. It's sneaked up to you silently, without warning. Just like it always does. There's simply no escape. The harder you try to get away, the more relentlessly it pursues you. It stares you in the face, plain and square: The Number 11.   ^ "11:11 the phenomenon". Kindred Spirit. http://goliath.ecnext.com/premium/0199/0199-4280285.html.
• These 11:11 Wake-Up Calls on your digital clocks, mobile phones, VCR’s and microwaves are the "trademark" prompts of a group of just 1,111 fun-loving Spirit Guardians, or Angels, and the 11:11 prompt is their way of using our innate ability for pattern recognition to let us know that they are here.   http://www.1111spiritguardians.com/  watch their youtube video here: http://www.1111spiritguardians.com/whatis1111.htm
• What's so special about 11/11/11? Nothing unusual, meaningful, ominous or auspicious? Depends on who you ask.   A. In medieval times, numerologists — those who searched for the mystical significance of numbers — believed all numbers had both positive and negative aspects … except for 11. In the words of the 16th century scholar Petrus Bungus, 11 "has no connection with divine things, no ladder reaching up to things above, nor any merit." Stuck between the divine numbers 10 and 12, 11 was pure evil, and represented sinners.  B.  Indeed, the 11:11 phenomenon is widely reported in real life, with entire online discussion forums dedicated to figuring out what the number means. People say they feel haunted by 11s, which appear to them eerily often. To them, the impending date is bound to seem ominous. C. On the flip side, some modern-day numerologists have deemed 11/11/11 auspicious, and according to local news sources around the country, an unusual number of couples have planned to marry on the day. The number 11 is also a favorite of gamblers — particularly blackjack and Keno players. So, amid all these alternative perspectives, what's the real deal about repeating 11s? Is there anything special about the numbers lining up?  D.  No. With regards to the 11:11 phenomenon, rather than being a supernatural warning sign, psychologists say it is a classic case of "apophenia," or the human tendency to find meaning or patterns in randomly occurring data. This condition feeds on itself, because the more conscious you are of something — such as repeating 11s — the more often you'll notice it in the world around you, and thus the more certain you'll become that the pattern is real.   And more…. Read the article by Natalie Wolchover, Life’s Little Mysteries, updated 11/7/2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45195313/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/whats-so-special-about/#

And even in today’s news the power of Eleven:

• “Egypt closes Great Pyramid after rumors of rituals” By BEN HUBBARD - Associated Press  - CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's antiquities authority closed the largest of the Giza pyramids Friday following rumors that groups would try to hold spiritual ceremonies on the site at 11:11 A.M. on Nov. 11, 2011.  The authority's head Mustafa Amin said in a statement Friday that the pyramid of Khufu, also known as Cheops, would be closed to visitors until Saturday morning for "necessary maintenance."  The closure follows a string of unconfirmed reports in local media that unidentified groups would try to hold "Jewish" or "Masonic" rites on the site to take advantage of mysterious powers coming from the pyramid on the rare date.  Amin called all reports of planned ceremonies at the site "completely lacking in truth."   Speaking by phone from the pyramids after 11:11 had passed, al-Asfar said he'd seen nothing out of the ordinary. "Everything is normal," he said. "The only thing different is the closure of the Khufu pyramid."  http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-closes-great-pyramid-rumors-rituals-104026490.html
• LA Times: Nation Now: “11-11-11 meaning: A special once-a-century repunit palindrome day”  November 11, 2011 | 6:00am  In an email missive, Inan explains that 11-11-11 is a once-in-a-century repunit palindrome day. If you've never heard of the word "repunit" (our word-processing program had not), it means a number such as 11, 111, or 1111 that contains only the digit 1. "The term stands for repeated unit and was coined in 1966 by Albert H. Beiler," writes Inan.  Furthermore, he explains that 111111 equals the product of two palindrome numbers written as 111111=111 x 1001.  He points out that, this year, the month of November has been rich with palindrome days including 1-1-11 (another repunit day), 11-2-11, 11-3-11, 11-4-11, 11-5-11, 11-6-11, 11-7-11, 11-8-11, 11-9-11 and coming soon -- 11-22 11  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/11/11-11-11-is-a-very-special-once-a-century-repunit-palindrome-day.html
• Happy Nerd New Year! 11/11/11 Is “Nerd New Year” — Here’s How to Turn it Up to 11: Nerds and numerologists get ready: the last binary date of the 21st century is approaching. Friday is 11/11/11 — a highly significant date if you believe in the power of numbers. No doubt thousands of us will see the preponderance of ones as a good time to turn over a new leaf — start that new diet or exercise routine, perhaps. There is some logic to this: as a memorable date, it makes it easy to celebrate your profound change of direction in years to come.  But it’s also a date to celebrate, at least for programmers who think in binary code. One group of hackers has dubbed it “ Nerd New Year.” They’ll be lining the streets of Redwood City, in the heart of Silicon Valley, for an outdoor hackathon and party, including the countdown to Nerd New Year itself at 11:11 p.m. “It is ON,” organizer Adam Rifkin told Patch. (That’s a binary joke, by the way.)  http://mashable.com/2011/11/10/111111/

Cheers to you my sneaky number eleven

11.11.11 11:11

November, the Eleventh Month on the Eleventh day in the year Two Thousand Eleven at Eleven Past the Eleventh Hour