It seemed there was always a close correlation between true believers and high body counts.

Repetitive exceptional performance became a habit.

The notion that one can discover large patterns or regularities in the procession of historical events is naturally attractive to those who are impressed by the success of the natural sciences in classifying, correlating, and above all predicting.

He does love his numbers And they run, they run, they run him In a great big circle In a circle of infinity 3.14159 26535897932 3846 264 338 3279...

Statistics were magic like this: they could tell you with near-certainty that a thing would occur, without a hint of when or where.

Numbers create accountability. When you set a number, everyone knows what the expectation is.

The Gods most pleasure in od numbers take.

at some point numbers do count.

Later that summer, as rain fell, such a moment shimmered and paused on the brink, and then began the ancient dance of numbers: two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and a new life took root and began to grow. And thus the generations past were joined to the unknowable future.

Persistent prophecy is a familiar way of assuring the event.

Letting numbers take us where we can't go in person — whether that's to the top of a windmill or to the origin and borders of the universe — has been and still is one of humankind's favorite intellectual adventures.

During many ages, the prediction, as it is usual, contributed to its own accomplishment.

Today those who peer into the future want only relief from anxiety. Unable to face the prospect that the cycles of war will continue, they are desperate to find a pattern of improvement in history. It is only natural that believers in reason, lacking any deeper faith and too feeble to tolerate doubt, should turn to the sorcery of numbers. Happily there are some who are ready to assist them. Just as the Elizabethan magus transcribed tables shown to him by angels, the modern scientific scryer deciphers numerical auguries of angels hidden in ourselves.

Blessed are the legend-makers with their rhyme of things not found within recorded time.