Happy Square Root day!

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Apple’s product release earlier seemed to happen at exactly 13:37GMT, which I’ve always had in my head as l33t-o’clock. I wondered briefly if that was intentional on Apple’s behalf, and then put the thought aside after remembering that Apple probably doesn’t run on GMT.

That disappointment was shortlived as various tweeters starting noting that it was Square Root day. Square Root Day occurs just nine times each century, and is when the day and the month are the same number, and when multiplied together make up the last two digits of the year?

So basically, today – 3/3/09 is like saying 3 * 3 = 9. The first of the century was the 1st Jan 2001, and then there was the 2nd Feb 2004. Before that, it’d been 20 years since 9th September 1981. After today, the next square root day will be the 4th April 2016.

People celebrating the occasion are expected tonight to carve square root signs into fruit and vegetables and burn them in a massive pyre. I’ll be taking part. See you in Hyde Park at 10pm, yeah? We won’t let some rubbish drizzle dampen our mathematical spirits!

Top 10 Tuesday: Ways to spend Valentine's Day with your partner in World of Warcraft

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If you don’t play World of Warcraft, or a similar MMORPG, then you might not want to read this. You’re going to thin. But there’s actually a lot of fun to be had playing World of Warcraft with a significant other, especially if circumstances mean that you’re unable to be in the same place on the special day.

Of course, World of Warcraft holds its own “Love is in the Air” event, but we’re not just going to limit ourselves to that, oh no. There’s a whole world to see, so we’ll pick out some of the nicest spots. Click into the post to begin the countdown.

ROMANCE IS DEAD: 90% of us will send "Valentine texts" this year

valentine-text-message.jpgA survey carried out on behalf of text-sex-enabler Orange has revealed that 90% of us will send “romantic” or “saucy” text messages this Valentine’s Day.

As well as being blackmailed by major corporations into feeling guilty and spending loads of money on over-priced pink goods (poor Mrs Cutlack might get a smile if she’s lucky this Thursday), we’re also expected to use up out valuable mobile credit sending generic messages of affection as well. Orange had this to say on the matter…