12-12-12

Do you really think I’d post to my blog just because the date is 12-12-12?  Well, it’s a little cheesy but I’ll do it.

The next time the month, day, and last two digits of the year (hereafter known as MDY) are the same number will be New Year’s Day, 2101. The MDY of that future day will be 01-01-01. That will be 32162 days from today, counting from the first moment of today’s date to the first moment of that future date. That number includes leap days. Don’t believe me? You do the math.

The next time the MDY equals 12-12-12 will be December 12, 2112. From the first moment of today to the first moment of then will be 36524 days. I bet you would have guessed 36525. It’s true that a full century equals “365.25 x 100” which is 36525. But we have a leap day every four years in February and so the number of leap days in 100 years depends on the date you begin counting time. This year, 2012, was a leap year. But because we are counting from December, we don’t count this year’s leap day and so we end up one day short of a full century.

This kind of thing happens during the first 12 years of every century. It happens because our calendar starts over at the end of every year. If we chose, we could devise a different calendar that doesn’t start over every year. We could use a formula like the TV series Star Trek used and have dates like “Stardate 43989.1”. Or perhaps, “Earthdate 43989.1”.

But as long as we use a calendar that starts over every year, then every century there will be 12 years in which the MDY will be the same number repeated three times. If anyone tells you that today’s date is somehow special, or is imbued with “special vibrations” or other mumbo-jumbo, then let me assure you: any “vibrations” you feel are likely just the refrigerator running.