What’s in a Number?

image News of the trapped miners was headlined, broadcast, and tweeted across the globe. People found it difficult to believe that all 33 men had survived. Some said it was testament to the endurance of the human spirit. Others called it a miracle of God. Still others pointed to the mystical nature of numerology, which attempts to provide explanations for a variety of events and observations. The number 33, which numerologists consider a “master number” (Decoz, 2011, April 18), was thought to play an important role. Here is some of the “evidence” presented to support this claim (Agence France Presse, 2010, October 14; freedomflores, 2010, October 18; The Vigilant Citizen, 2010, October 14):

  • There were 33 miners.

  • They sent up a note saying, “Estamos bien en el refugio los 33.” This statement contains 33 characters and spaces.

  • The eventual rescue date was 10/13/10; the sum of these digits equals 33.

  • Drilling the rescue tunnel took 33 days, and the width of the rescue tunnel was said to be 66 centimeters, which is 33 times two.