 The number 47 pops up an inordinate amount of times on computer  screens, serial numbers, dates and so on. This tradition was started  by writer/coproducer Menosky, Joe (qv) and was soon picked up by  the rest of the production team. Menosky said that he choose that  particular number because when he was a graduate student at Pomona  College, Professor of Mathematics Donald Bentley proved as a joke  that all numbers are equal to 47.[See also Trivia entries for  _"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993)_ (qv) and  _"Star Trek: Voyager" (1995)_ (qv)]