It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC.

Good morning, everyone.

Happy New Year.

Happy First BL show of 2025.

We hope it's a happy one.

We will start with a numerology geek riddle about the year 2025 that we're just beginning.

You ready?

How much is 20 plus 25 times 20 plus 25?

20 plus 25 times 20 plus 25. How quick can you get your calculator out? And the answer is

2025. Another way to say it, 20 plus 25 is 45. Multiply that by itself and you get the year,

2025. And so this is the only year this century that is a perfect square, 45 squared, 2025.

44 squared was 1936.

46 squared will be 2116.

So if you want to geek out on numbers with your math friends or just confuse everyone

you know, like maybe I just confuse you, there you go. This is the unique year where we can say

20 plus 25 times 20 plus 25 equals 20, 25. That kind of thing may never happen again. Or welcome to the year 45 square, the only perfect

square year this century. We'll actually do another numbers crunch later on today's show in the

latest edition of our 100 Years of 100 Think series. It'll be 100 years of birth rates and population growth in the United

States. A hundred years of birth rates and population growth in the United States. Some people think

we're in a crisis of two few babies being born in this country. Remember childless cat ladies?

We will trace 100 years of birth rates and population growth. We'll also

have our first New York City mayoral election preview today, first New Jersey governor's race

...