Wednesday, September 5, 2007

So I was bored and googling......

........and this is what I found when I searched "theta." I don't know if anyone will even read this, but I found it kinda cool.

In classical Athens, it was used as an abbreviation for the Greek θάνατος (thanatos, "death") and as it vaguely resembles a human skull, theta was used as a warning symbol of death, in the same way that skull and crossbones are used in modern times. It survives on potsherds used by Athenians when voting for the death penalty.[1]

In modern times, theta seems to have been given a new siginificance. Beginning in 2004, theta-related graffiti has been found all over the New England region of the United States, as well as in northern and southern France. The graffiti shows the mantra "theta equals love" - literally a theta followed by an equals sign and a heart. The origins of this mantra is unknown, but its popularity seems to be growing as indicated by a rise in "theta equals love" graffiti.