August 8th is truly a special day in the calendar – a date that both invites to reflect on the great questions of the universe and encourages to celebrate the little joys of life.
On this day we celebrate two remarkable holidays: the Day of Infinity (International Infinity Day) and Happiness Happens Day (Happiness-is-feasible-day). These seemingly so different occasions have more in common than one might suspect at first glance.
The Day of Infinity:
A symbol comes alive
The emergence of the holiday
August 8 is International Day of infinity International Infinity Day – often also: Global Infinity Day. At least when it comes to the American Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo He founded this event in 1987. Fenyo, also known as ‘Free Advice Man’, was a philosophical poet and writer who gave free advice on the streets of New York City.
The choice of date is anything but coincidental: The initiator Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo then also provides a justification for the election of 8 August as the date of the International Infinity Day. Because as the eighth day of the eighth month, this date is a symbolic reverence to the infinity symbol, which resembles a horizontal eight.
The history of the symbol of infinity
Today's ubiquitous symbol ∞ for infinity has a fascinating history. The infinity symbol was used in the meaning as an infinite number in 1655 by the English mathematician. John Wallis (1616 to 1703). Wallis was a contemporary of Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke and made important contributions to the infinitesimal calculus and the calculation of the circle number Pi.
It is interesting that the exact origin of the symbol is not clear. However, we can only guess why Valais chose this symbol. So some sources see here a ligation ⁇ the Roman Numeral CI approximates for the number 1000, others refer to a (closed) variation of the last Greek lower case ω (omega).
What does infinity mean?
Infinity is a philosophical and mathematical concept that refers to something that is infinite, limitless, or greater than any natural number. The essence of infinity has been the subject of many philosophical debates since ancient times.
Fancy a Wikipedia DeepDive with some math on top? Then please go here: The most famous example from antiquity is Zeno's paradox of Achilles and the Tortoise, It shows the difficulties of understanding the infinite.
In parts, interesting information can also be found in the IT area:
Parallelization of tasks: In computer science, complex tasks are often broken down into smaller, parallel subtasks. The paradox can serve as an analogy to the challenges of coordinating and synchronizing these subtasks, especially since each task always takes a certain amount of time to complete.
Limit value calculation: The paradox illustrates the mathematical idea of infinite divisibility and convergence. In IT, e.g. in the successive approximation of functions or the calculation of integral values, infinite series or processes are often used that approximate a limit value. The paradox shows that even with infinite division, a finite result can be achieved.
Algorithm design: Understanding the paradox can help develop efficient algorithms that work with limited resources. It recalls that steady progress is also being made in approaching a goal, even if the individual steps are seemingly infinitely small. Hint: Do not forget about demolition conditions and/or loop counters. ⁇ Iterative > Recursive
In summary, it can be said:
The paradox of Achilles and the turtle is more than just a philosophical gimmick. It has profound implications for the way we divide tasks in computer science, design algorithms, and calculate boundaries. The idea of infinite divisibility and convergence to a finite result is a central concept in many areas of modern IT.
The Importance of the Number Eight
The double eight in the date 8.8. makes this day a perfect opportunity to appreciate the number itself. The Eight plays a central role in many scientific fields:
- astronomy: Our solar system has eight planets (Sorry Pluto, you're out)
- chemistry: Oxygen has an atomic number of eight and is the most common element on Earth.
- physics: The octet rule states that eight is the maximum number of electrons in the valence shell of a major group element.
- Informatics: Eight bits form a byte, a basic unit of digital information
- music: An octave contains eight notes
Same same, but different:
Happiness Happens Day! Happiness is doable
In parallel with Infinite Day, on August 8, the Happiness Happens Day Celebrated, a holiday that reminds us that happiness is actually doable.
The Secret Society of Happy People
Happiness Happens Day was celebrated by the U.S. Secret Society of Happy People (SOHP) was launched in 1999. Originally called Admit You’re Happy Day. The organization was founded in August 1998 in Irving, Texas, by Pamela Gail Johnson and is dedicated to celebrating happiness.
There is also a specific reason for choosing the date. On August 8, 1998, the Secret Society of Happy People celebrated the accession of the first member.
The mission of the SOHP
The Secret Society of Happy People has evolved far beyond its original purpose. In the meantime, the organization can refer to thousands of members from over 34 countries who celebrate their moments of happiness in everyday life and, above all, announce them.
The organization is also politically active: Furthermore, the Secret Society of Happy People is actively striving to have Happiness Happens Day officially recognized as a national holiday. As of today, a total of 19 U.S. states support this effort.
The Philosophical Dimension of August 8
According to Fenyo, Infinity Day is a day to reflect on the concept of infinity and other philosophical questions. The content ranges from questions such as ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ to ‘Is something really important at all?’.
The founder of the holiday emphasizes that the International Day of Infinity is a philosophical holiday for everyone and is not only aimed at the academic discipline of technical philosophy. Rather, August 8 is a day when everyone is invited to engage in philosophical conversations and encourage others to become interested in philosophy.
Documentary tip: "Finally Infinite" - When reality meets vision
In keeping with the day of infinity, I recommend you the Austrian documentary „Finally Infinite„ (2021) directed by Stephan Bergmann. This fascinating film deals with the question of human immortality and transhumanism.
Spoiler alert from here, ‘only’ documentary but I don’t want to miss out on any of you.
Shouldn't we talk about death soon? Is it not even necessary to think about him in the near future? That sounds like salvation, after all, the subject is popular with the least of them.
The film shows a world in which this no longer has anything to do with religious ideas about the afterlife, but with research and technology. The line of thought behind it is called transhumanism.
Bergmann has met numerous representatives of the transhumanist movement for his documentary and shows their visions unbiased. It quickly becomes clear here that these are not mad scientists who want to breed the superman, but people whose motives are quite noble. For the most part, it is the trauma of loss that led respondents to their attitude.
The film documents medical procedures and self-experiments aimed at turning death, illness and old age into relics of the past. This goes as far as planting computer chips and cyborg prototypes.
"Finally Infinite" is thus a perfect film for the Day of Infinity, as it explores the boundaries between the possible and the impossible and encourages us to reflect on the fundamental questions of human existence.
The connection between happiness and infinity
At first glance, Infinity Day and Happiness Happens Day seem to have little in common. But on closer inspection, they complement each other wonderfully:
- perspective: While infinity shows us the size and vastness of the universe, Happiness Happens Day reminds us that happiness is often found in the small, finite moments.
- philosophy: Both holidays invite you to reflect – on the big questions of life on the one hand and on personal well-being on the other.
- community: Both Infinity Day and Happiness Happens Day encourage people to connect and share thoughts.
How to Celebrate August 8th
For the Day of Infinity:
- Possibly a round of philosophical conversations with friends or family or a nice game evening together
- Look at the starry sky and think about the vastness of the universe (Are we alone? If so, it would be ne Quite a waste of space)
- Watch the movie ‘Finally Infinite’. Not on a docu? Alternatively, e.g. also fits Insterstellar Or vllt. The fountain very good.
For the Happiness Happens Day:
- Consciously share positive experiences with others (Juhuu, is finite) Social Media useful)
- Give a little joy to someone around you (if possible IRL)
- Distributed today A little bit of kindness in the world (random please)
Conclusion: A Day of Contradictions and Similarities
August 8 shows us that apparent opposites can complement each other wonderfully. Infinity teaches us humility before the greatness of the universe, while consciously perceiving moments of happiness shows us how precious the present moment is.
At a time when we often oscillate between extreme poles, between the overload of the complexity of the world and the longing for simple solutions, August 8 offers a valuable balance. He reminds us that we can be both great thinkers and simple people who value life in its many facets.
Use this special day to reflect on the big questions of life and celebrate the little joys at the same time. In the end, this is perhaps the answer to the question of infinity:
It lies not only in the far reaches of the universe, but also in the infinite moments of happiness that we can encounter every day.
8 August – a day that shows that happiness and infinity Closer to each other than we thought.
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