47

Usage of the number 47 had been a very common in-joke on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Writer Joe Menosky, a Pomoma College alumni, originated this joke based on a humorous "47 Society" from his alma mater. Menosky, along with other writers and production crew, arranged numerous placements of the number throughout the series via dialogue (often ensconced in technobabble), props, and visual references. The TV spy drama Alias took the "47" joke to almost-epic proportions by placing very obvious references to the number in most of its episodes over its 5-year run.

The "47" joke has become the numerical counterpart to the audio clip known as the "Wilhelm Scream" that's added to numerous movies as an in-joke between directors and sound editors since the early 1950s.

In the Re-imagined Series, this number shows up in the following:

This is the last lottery number held by a lucky refugee on Caprica, who is rescued by Lt. Sharon Valerii during an emergency stop on the colony following the commencement of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Dr. Gaius Baltar appears to momentarily consider using the number for himself as the older woman could not read her number (her forgetfulness leads her to neglect her glasses on top of her head), before being called out by Karl "Helo" Agathon. Agathon spares the woman from Baltar's machinations as he relinquishes his seat on the Raptor for the famous scientist ^{(TRS: "Miniseries, Night 1")}.

Sharon Valerii flies 47 missions in her Raptor ^{(TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix")}.

The fighter tail number of Raymond Lai's old Mark II Viper, later piloted by Kara Thrace, is number 8547 ^{(TRS: "Miniseries, Night 2")}.

Romo Lampkin and Lee "Apollo" Adama go through 47 candidates in their search for interim president before Lampkin identifies Adama as being the person best suited for the position ^{(TRS: "Sine Qua Non")}.

In the brief cease-fire during the Battle of The Colony, Lee Adama states that 4 Vipers have been destroyed, and Starbuck states that 7 Raptors have been lost ^{(TRS: "Daybreak")}.

893893

Zarek's repetitive prisoner number, 893893, is a multiple of 47: 893893 = 893 * 1001 = 19 * 47 * 1001 ^{(TRS: "Bastille Day")}.