12 September: The Number Twelve

On the twelfth day of the month, ten things you might not know about the number twelve.

1. In the English language, twelve is the highest number with a single syllable name.
2. In mathematics, the divisors of 12 are 1,2,3,4,6 and 12. This makes it a composite number, a sublime number, and an abundant number.
3. A group of twelve things may be called a dodecad, a duodecad or a duodecouple as well as the common English word, dozen. A twelve sided polygon is a dodecagon and a twelve sided dice would be a dodecahedron. The name for the small intestine, duodenum, also derives from the Latin for twelve (duodecim) because it is approximately 12 inches long.
4. Also in the human body, we have 12 pairs of ribs and 12 cranial nerves.
5. A jury for a trial consists of twelve people. This dates back to a 10th century law passed by Aethelred the Unready. He in turn may have been influenced by Greek mythology. On one occasion the goddess Athena summoned a jury of twelve people.
6. Twelve appears often in religion and mythology. It represents perfection, entirety and cosmic order. Hence we have: 12 tribes of Israel; 12 Apostles (when Judas Iscariot kills himself, the remaining eleven hold a meeting to add a new apostle to bring the number back up to 12); 12 days of Christmas; 12 labours of Hercules; 12 names for the Hindu sun god; 12 petals in the heart chakra; 12 sons of Odin; 12 knights of the Round Table to name but a few.
7. Twelve as a base for measurements probably originated in Mesopotamia. It's a common number in old measurement systems (12 ounces in a pound, 12 inches in a foot, 12 old pence in a shilling, for example). Most of these have been replaced in much of the modern world by the metric system, using base 10, except in the case of time - there are 12 months in a year and 24 (twice 12) hours in a day. 60 (the number of seconds in a minute and minutes in an hour), is also divisible by 12.
8. Twelve is the atomic number of magnesium.
9. A women's lacrosse team has 12 players. There are a number of sports which have 11 players on the field per team at any one time - soccer, American football and cricket, for example. The team as a whole has more people, allowing for reserves, who will have numbers above 11 on their shirts. Many teams will not use number 12, however, as the 12th member of the team, by tradition, is its supporters. Hence, in some teams, the only people allowed to wear this number on a shirt or jersey are the fans.
10. In the Beaufort scale of wind speed, 12 is a hurricane, with a wind speed of over 73mph.

NEW!

Obsidian's Ark

Teenage years bring no end of problems. Daniel Moran's include getting hold of computer games his parents don't think he should have; a full blown crush on the beautiful Suki from Zorostan; maintaining his status as a prefect and getting his homework done. He must also keep from his parents and sister the fact that he is a superhero with a sword from another world.

Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.

Suki struggles to make friends at school when she cannot understand everyday cultural references, and they all suspect her of being a terrorist. She, too, has a secret, but is it what her classmates assume?

When Daniel stumbles upon a plot by an alliance of supervillains to plunge the world into war, he tries to alert the established superheroes, but none of them believe him. When the Prime Minister's only daughter, Yasmin Miller, is abducted, Daniel knows the villains' plan is underway. It seems humanity's only hope may be Daniel and the ragtag bunch of teenage superheroes he recruits. Can he pull together, not only his own team, but the older heroes as well, in a bid to save the Earth from a devastating war?

Themes: 

Superheroes; Coming of age; Leadership; Kidnap and rescue; Aliens; Friendship and rivalry; Terrorism; Secrets.

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