29 is, like all natural numbers1, interesting. Let’s look at a few facts about it.
- It’s the 10th prime number, and a twin prime with 31.
- It is the fifth primorial prime, a prime which is one away from the product of the first n primes. In this case n=3, since 2 * 3 * 5 = 30.
- It’s the smallest positive whole number that cannot be made from the numbers {1,2,3,4}, using each digit exactly once and using only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. So if you want to stump some nerdy elementary schoolers that’s a good trick.
- It’s the sum of three consecutive squares, 2²+3²+4².
- It’s the number of distinct pentacubes (see header image).
- It’s the rarest number of days for the length of a month to be.
- It’s the atomic number of Copper.
- It’s the year, BCE, that Virgil likely began writing the Aeneid.
- It’s the year, CE, that Jesus either started his ministry or was crucified, depending on which source you go by (Luke says the former; the Catholic encyclopedia the latter).
- It’s the number of Earth years that it takes Saturn to orbit the Sun.
- It’s the number of bones in the human head (counting the 22 bones of the skull, the 6 of the inner ears, and the hyoid bone at the base of the tongue [which incidentally is the only bone in the human body not connected to any other bones]).
- It’s the age I turned today.