The Fascination with the Number 37

Introduction

• Demonstration: Asking people for a random number between 1 and 100.
• Observation: A surprising frequency of people selecting the number 37.
• Question: Why do so many people pick the number 37 when asked for a random number?

Blue-Seven Phenomenon

• Concept: People are bad at being random.
• Examples: Blue and 7 are most chosen color and number.
• Specificity: 37 is often suggested as the common two-digit random number.

The Investigation

• Experiment: Asking hundreds of people to pick a number between 1 and 100.
• Results: Most common single-digit number: 7.
• Results: Most common two-digit number: 37.
• Surveys: Large-scale survey with 200,000 responses confirmed consistency.
• Results: Consistent selection of certain numbers (7, 73, 77, 37).

Delving Into Number 37

• Magic Trick: The "37 Force" relies on the predictability of selecting 37.
• Stanford MIT Jargon File: Suggests 37 as a popular random number choice among programmers.
• Reddit Poll: Second most popular random number after 69.

Larger Survey Analysis

• Methodology: Ignoring extremes and culturally favored numbers (e.g., 69).
• Findings: 37 and 73 emerged as predominantly picked numbers.

Mathematical and Psychological Reasons

• Human Perception: Odd numbers, particularly primes, are viewed as more random.
• Recurring Digits: 3s and 7s are favorites in number selection.
• Prime Number Theorem: Explains distribution and occurrence of primes.
• Second Prime Factor Analysis: 37 is the median second prime factor of all numbers.
• Special Properties of 37: Multiple unique prime categories (irregular, Cuban, lucky, sexy, permutable, Padovan).

Psychological Experiment: Secretary Problem

• Problem: Decision-making for selecting the best option without knowing all potential choices.
• Solution: The 37% rule (37% of options should be rejected initially).
• Implication: Tied to various decision-making scenarios (e.g., jobs, partners).

Cultural Obsession with 37

• Examples in Media: Frequent mention of 37 across various media.
• Personal Collection: Enthusiast collecting numerous instances of 37 in everyday life.

Conclusion

• Intuitive Selection: 37 is favored due to intrinsic human bias and mathematical properties.
• Impact of Knowledge: Future randomness might be influenced by known biases towards 37.