Why is Sesame Street's Count von Count's favorite number 34,969?
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$begingroup$
In the 2 minute BBC News audio clip Sesame Street: What is Count von Count's favourite number? "The Count" is asked
Do you have a favorite number?
to which he replied
Thirty four thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine. It's a square root thing.
Does the number 34,969 have any particularly notable properties that would make it "The Count"'s favorite number?
Revelations from the world of counting from the late Jerry Nelson, the voice of Count von Count, who was interviewed by Tim Harford to mark Sesame Street's 40th anniversary in 2009.
Photo: Count von Count attends Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2018 Credit: Getty Images
Release date: 01 February 2019
Duration: 2 minutes
prime-numbers radicals
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
In the 2 minute BBC News audio clip Sesame Street: What is Count von Count's favourite number? "The Count" is asked
Do you have a favorite number?
to which he replied
Thirty four thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine. It's a square root thing.
Does the number 34,969 have any particularly notable properties that would make it "The Count"'s favorite number?
Revelations from the world of counting from the late Jerry Nelson, the voice of Count von Count, who was interviewed by Tim Harford to mark Sesame Street's 40th anniversary in 2009.
Photo: Count von Count attends Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2018 Credit: Getty Images
Release date: 01 February 2019
Duration: 2 minutes
prime-numbers radicals
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Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
2
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
In the 2 minute BBC News audio clip Sesame Street: What is Count von Count's favourite number? "The Count" is asked
Do you have a favorite number?
to which he replied
Thirty four thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine. It's a square root thing.
Does the number 34,969 have any particularly notable properties that would make it "The Count"'s favorite number?
Revelations from the world of counting from the late Jerry Nelson, the voice of Count von Count, who was interviewed by Tim Harford to mark Sesame Street's 40th anniversary in 2009.
Photo: Count von Count attends Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2018 Credit: Getty Images
Release date: 01 February 2019
Duration: 2 minutes
prime-numbers radicals
$endgroup$
In the 2 minute BBC News audio clip Sesame Street: What is Count von Count's favourite number? "The Count" is asked
Do you have a favorite number?
to which he replied
Thirty four thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine. It's a square root thing.
Does the number 34,969 have any particularly notable properties that would make it "The Count"'s favorite number?
Revelations from the world of counting from the late Jerry Nelson, the voice of Count von Count, who was interviewed by Tim Harford to mark Sesame Street's 40th anniversary in 2009.
Photo: Count von Count attends Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2018 Credit: Getty Images
Release date: 01 February 2019
Duration: 2 minutes
prime-numbers radicals
prime-numbers radicals
asked 1 hour ago
![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Js314.png?s=32&g=1)
![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Js314.png?s=32&g=1)
uhohuhoh
4811516
4811516
$begingroup$
Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
2
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
2
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago
$begingroup$
Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
2
2
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
There are some speculations in the following article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960
The following is taken verbatim from the link:
34,969 is 187 squared. But why 187?
More or Less turned to its listeners for help.
Toby Lewis noted that 187 is the total number of points on the tiles
of a Scrabble game, speculating that the Count might have counted
them.
David Lees noticed that 187 is the product of two primes - 11 and 17 -
which makes 34,969 a very fine number indeed, being 11 squared times
17 squared. What, he asked, could be lovelier?
And Simon Philips calculated that 187 is 94 squared minus 93 squared -
and of course 187 is also 94 plus 93 (although that would be true of
any two consecutive numbers, as reader Lynn Wragg pointed out). An
embarrassment of riches!
But both he and Toby Lewis hinted at darkness behind the Count's
carefree laughter and charming flashes of lightning: 187 is also the
American police code for murder.
Murder squared: was the Count trying to tell us something?
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Curiously,
$$sqrt{1234567890}=35136.418ldots$$
which is kinda-sorta close to $34969$, although it doesn't seem close enough to make the joke work.
Perhaps it's that $34969=187^2$ is the largest perfect square whose own square doesn't exceed $1234567890$ (since $sqrt[4]{1234567890} = 187.447ldots$).
Considering how the Count counts, one might think his favorite number relates to
$$12345678910$$
It's perhaps worth noting that
$$begin{align}
sqrt{12345678910} &;=; 111,111.11ldots \
sqrt[4]{12345678910} &;=; phantom{111,}333.33333ldots
end{align}$$
where I have conveniently truncated the digits for best effect.
Unrelatedly: I've always been a little disappointed that the Count's full name is "Count von Count" instead of, say, "Count von Tuthrifore".
$endgroup$
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
There are some speculations in the following article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960
The following is taken verbatim from the link:
34,969 is 187 squared. But why 187?
More or Less turned to its listeners for help.
Toby Lewis noted that 187 is the total number of points on the tiles
of a Scrabble game, speculating that the Count might have counted
them.
David Lees noticed that 187 is the product of two primes - 11 and 17 -
which makes 34,969 a very fine number indeed, being 11 squared times
17 squared. What, he asked, could be lovelier?
And Simon Philips calculated that 187 is 94 squared minus 93 squared -
and of course 187 is also 94 plus 93 (although that would be true of
any two consecutive numbers, as reader Lynn Wragg pointed out). An
embarrassment of riches!
But both he and Toby Lewis hinted at darkness behind the Count's
carefree laughter and charming flashes of lightning: 187 is also the
American police code for murder.
Murder squared: was the Count trying to tell us something?
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are some speculations in the following article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960
The following is taken verbatim from the link:
34,969 is 187 squared. But why 187?
More or Less turned to its listeners for help.
Toby Lewis noted that 187 is the total number of points on the tiles
of a Scrabble game, speculating that the Count might have counted
them.
David Lees noticed that 187 is the product of two primes - 11 and 17 -
which makes 34,969 a very fine number indeed, being 11 squared times
17 squared. What, he asked, could be lovelier?
And Simon Philips calculated that 187 is 94 squared minus 93 squared -
and of course 187 is also 94 plus 93 (although that would be true of
any two consecutive numbers, as reader Lynn Wragg pointed out). An
embarrassment of riches!
But both he and Toby Lewis hinted at darkness behind the Count's
carefree laughter and charming flashes of lightning: 187 is also the
American police code for murder.
Murder squared: was the Count trying to tell us something?
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are some speculations in the following article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960
The following is taken verbatim from the link:
34,969 is 187 squared. But why 187?
More or Less turned to its listeners for help.
Toby Lewis noted that 187 is the total number of points on the tiles
of a Scrabble game, speculating that the Count might have counted
them.
David Lees noticed that 187 is the product of two primes - 11 and 17 -
which makes 34,969 a very fine number indeed, being 11 squared times
17 squared. What, he asked, could be lovelier?
And Simon Philips calculated that 187 is 94 squared minus 93 squared -
and of course 187 is also 94 plus 93 (although that would be true of
any two consecutive numbers, as reader Lynn Wragg pointed out). An
embarrassment of riches!
But both he and Toby Lewis hinted at darkness behind the Count's
carefree laughter and charming flashes of lightning: 187 is also the
American police code for murder.
Murder squared: was the Count trying to tell us something?
$endgroup$
There are some speculations in the following article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19409960
The following is taken verbatim from the link:
34,969 is 187 squared. But why 187?
More or Less turned to its listeners for help.
Toby Lewis noted that 187 is the total number of points on the tiles
of a Scrabble game, speculating that the Count might have counted
them.
David Lees noticed that 187 is the product of two primes - 11 and 17 -
which makes 34,969 a very fine number indeed, being 11 squared times
17 squared. What, he asked, could be lovelier?
And Simon Philips calculated that 187 is 94 squared minus 93 squared -
and of course 187 is also 94 plus 93 (although that would be true of
any two consecutive numbers, as reader Lynn Wragg pointed out). An
embarrassment of riches!
But both he and Toby Lewis hinted at darkness behind the Count's
carefree laughter and charming flashes of lightning: 187 is also the
American police code for murder.
Murder squared: was the Count trying to tell us something?
answered 1 hour ago
PrismPrism
4,89431878
4,89431878
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Curiously,
$$sqrt{1234567890}=35136.418ldots$$
which is kinda-sorta close to $34969$, although it doesn't seem close enough to make the joke work.
Perhaps it's that $34969=187^2$ is the largest perfect square whose own square doesn't exceed $1234567890$ (since $sqrt[4]{1234567890} = 187.447ldots$).
Considering how the Count counts, one might think his favorite number relates to
$$12345678910$$
It's perhaps worth noting that
$$begin{align}
sqrt{12345678910} &;=; 111,111.11ldots \
sqrt[4]{12345678910} &;=; phantom{111,}333.33333ldots
end{align}$$
where I have conveniently truncated the digits for best effect.
Unrelatedly: I've always been a little disappointed that the Count's full name is "Count von Count" instead of, say, "Count von Tuthrifore".
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Curiously,
$$sqrt{1234567890}=35136.418ldots$$
which is kinda-sorta close to $34969$, although it doesn't seem close enough to make the joke work.
Perhaps it's that $34969=187^2$ is the largest perfect square whose own square doesn't exceed $1234567890$ (since $sqrt[4]{1234567890} = 187.447ldots$).
Considering how the Count counts, one might think his favorite number relates to
$$12345678910$$
It's perhaps worth noting that
$$begin{align}
sqrt{12345678910} &;=; 111,111.11ldots \
sqrt[4]{12345678910} &;=; phantom{111,}333.33333ldots
end{align}$$
where I have conveniently truncated the digits for best effect.
Unrelatedly: I've always been a little disappointed that the Count's full name is "Count von Count" instead of, say, "Count von Tuthrifore".
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Curiously,
$$sqrt{1234567890}=35136.418ldots$$
which is kinda-sorta close to $34969$, although it doesn't seem close enough to make the joke work.
Perhaps it's that $34969=187^2$ is the largest perfect square whose own square doesn't exceed $1234567890$ (since $sqrt[4]{1234567890} = 187.447ldots$).
Considering how the Count counts, one might think his favorite number relates to
$$12345678910$$
It's perhaps worth noting that
$$begin{align}
sqrt{12345678910} &;=; 111,111.11ldots \
sqrt[4]{12345678910} &;=; phantom{111,}333.33333ldots
end{align}$$
where I have conveniently truncated the digits for best effect.
Unrelatedly: I've always been a little disappointed that the Count's full name is "Count von Count" instead of, say, "Count von Tuthrifore".
$endgroup$
Curiously,
$$sqrt{1234567890}=35136.418ldots$$
which is kinda-sorta close to $34969$, although it doesn't seem close enough to make the joke work.
Perhaps it's that $34969=187^2$ is the largest perfect square whose own square doesn't exceed $1234567890$ (since $sqrt[4]{1234567890} = 187.447ldots$).
Considering how the Count counts, one might think his favorite number relates to
$$12345678910$$
It's perhaps worth noting that
$$begin{align}
sqrt{12345678910} &;=; 111,111.11ldots \
sqrt[4]{12345678910} &;=; phantom{111,}333.33333ldots
end{align}$$
where I have conveniently truncated the digits for best effect.
Unrelatedly: I've always been a little disappointed that the Count's full name is "Count von Count" instead of, say, "Count von Tuthrifore".
edited 8 mins ago
answered 19 mins ago
![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zvoFI.png?s=32&g=1)
![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zvoFI.png?s=32&g=1)
BlueBlue
48.1k870153
48.1k870153
add a comment |
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Well, $34969 = 187^2$.
$endgroup$
– jvdhooft
1 hour ago
2
$begingroup$
To go the other way $34969 = sqrt{1222830961}$. I think we just have to accept that this was just a dry joke. Given infinite numbers it's funny if one's favorite number is something arbitrary. And it's funnier if one gives a reason that, although not incorrect, reveals little.
$endgroup$
– fleablood
58 mins ago