I've noticed in TNG - and in other STAR TREK series, also - that there are certain numbers which are repeatedly used in scripts, such as the number 47, to indicate an amount, length of time, etc. This phenomenon is so peculiar that I've begun to suspect that there's an actual reason for it happening. Is it a syllable thing, used for purposes of metre in prose? Or is it an "inside" reference, or even a 'game,' or a joke of some kind amongst the writing staff?
