Numerology

The re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series shares a humorous and sometimes mysterious affinity in placing numbers with popular-culture cross-references or inside jokes in episode content.

"1701"

This is part of the registry number of the famous "USS Enterprise" of the "Star Trek" TV and movie series. In the Mini-Series, Colonial One rescues a passenger liner named "Gemenon Liner 1701." This is an inside nod to RDM's work in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV series. Interestingly, the actual USS Enterprise NCC-1701 appeared in the Mini-Series tucked away in the background of the final shot of the fleet. As a result of stock footage, the Enterprise actually appears in the opening credits of every episode.

"42"

There were 42 people in front of Secretary of Education Laura Roslin in line of succession for the presidency of the Twelve Colonies. "42" is the infamous "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"...of course, no one knows what the Question is, so out of context as a result, "42" is meaningless. The "42" joke is from Douglas Adam's masterpiece, the five book "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" Trilogy (yes, five book "Trilogy"). Another helpful axiom from the books is that when traveling around different planets through space, it's always best to "Know where your towel is" - which is considered a serious blunder to forget - a mistake which Lee Adama has nearly made on several occasions.

"47"

• This was the last lottery number held by a lucky refugee on Caprica, who was rescued by Lt. Sharon Valerii during an emergency stop on the Colony during the initial Cylon Attack. Dr. Gaius Baltar appeared to momentarily consider using the number for himself as the older woman could not read her number (her forgetfulness led her to neglect her glasses on top of her head). But Baltar was frightened out of the idea when Karl Agathon recognized him, and Baltar feared arrest for treason.

• The Galactica copy of Sharon Valerii, as her stint as Boomer, the Raptor pilot, flew 47 missions in her Raptor (Flight of the Phoenix).

• The fighter tail number of Raymond Lai's old Mark II Viper, later piloted by Kara Thrace, is number 8547 (Mini-Series).

• The fighter tail number of William Adama's refurbished Mark II Viper, later piloted by Lee Adama when escorting Colonial Heavy 798 back to Caprica, is 7242 (Mini-Series)

The number 47 was a very common in-joke in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Writer Joe Menosky, a Pomoma College alumni, originated this joke based on a humorous "47 Society" at the college. He and other writers placed the number as many times as possible throughout the series in technobabble, props, and visual references.

The "47" joke has become the numerical counterpart to the audio clip known as the "Wilhelm Scream" that's added to many, many action movies as an in-joke between directors and sound editors. Currently, the TV spy drama "Alias" has taken the "47" joke to almost-epic proportions by placing very obvious references in most of its episodes over its 5-year history.

"33"

• 33 is the name of the first episode
• 33 is the number of minutes between Cylon attacks in the episode 33
• 33 is the largest printed number on the Radio Magnetic Indicator
• The Homeric Hymns are 33 verses to various characters from Greek mythology, a few of which are also Lords of Kobol.

===

From RDM's Sci-Fi Channel Blog: Why 33 minutes? ===

The truth is, there's no real answer. It's just a random number that felt right when I came up with the idea that our people were under continuous, relentless attack since the end of the pilot. I wanted it to be a short interval, just long enough for them to grab a bite to eat, jump in the shower and maybe try to catch a catnap before dragging themselves back to their duty stations and begin the whole tedious, terrifying ordeal all over again.

A deeper truth is, I was never interested in coming up with an explanation for Why? Never. I mean, I suppose I could've come up with a sufficiently important-sounding bit of technobabble that would've made sense (you see, the Cylon double-talk sensors tracking the Olympic Carrier's nonsense drive signature needed 15 minutes to relay the made-up data wave through the pretend continuum, then the Cylon navigational hyper silly system needed another 10 minutes to recalculate the flux capacitor, etc.) but what would that have really added to the drama? How does explaining that 33 minute interval help our understanding of Laura's terrible moment of decision, or bring us to any greater knowledge of Dualla's search for her missing family and friends, or yield insight into Baltar's morally shattered psyche?

It doesn't, of course. The answer, however artfully it may (or may not) have been crafted can only subtract from the experience we have in watching the episode. Not knowing the how's or why's of the Cylon attack puts us in the same seat as the characters we're watching. They're in the dark, and we're in the dark. The relentless attack is unfathomable in its origin and unstoppable in its execution. It's mortality coming at you on a loop. If you only had 33 minutes before the next time you could die, what would you do? And what about the time after that? And the time after that? At a certain point, you stop caring about why it's happening, all you know is that it is happening, and it's happening to you.

So the mystery of 33 will be permanent on this show. No explanation, not even the attempt. Let it just be a number that seemed like an eternity for five long days on the battlestar Galactica.

"13"

• There are 13 Colonies - the Twelve Colonies, plus one: The thirteenth Colony, Earth
  
• There are 13 episodes in the first season of the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica."
  
  • This is the standard number of episodes in the first 'trial' season of many new shows; 52 weeks a year/4 = 13 weeks a "season" that they air episodes.
• Number of pilots killed by communication drone accident in "Act of Contrition"
  

"12"

• There are 12 original Colonies matching the 12 zodiac symbols.
• There are 12 Humano-Cylon models.
• According to President Roslin there were 12 snakes encircling her press podium when she had one of her first Chamalla-induced vissions. (The Hand of God) This vision was predicted by the prophet Pythia, stating: "And the Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland. And unto the leader, they gave a vision of serpents, numbering two and ten, as a sign of things to come." (The Hand of God)
• There were 12 Vipers that participated on the direct assault at the Battle for the Tylium Asteroid. Pythia's prophecy also mentioned that the humans would be led by "serpents numbering two and ten".
• There were 12 battlestars constructed on the onset of the Cylon War. (Mini-Series)
• There are 12 days between the first time Helo and Caprica-Valerii make love and when she becomes visibly pregnant.
• There are twelve cervical vertebrae in the human spine, which glows on humano-cylons.