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Here's a relevant pop science video by CGP Grey[0] that explains all the various problems with SSNs. My favorite part is the fact that until quite recently (201
by Qub3d 9y ago
Here's a relevant pop science video by CGP Grey[0] that explains all the various problems with SSNs. My favorite part is the fact that until quite recently (2011) you could decrement or increment a given SSN by 1 and get another valid SSN, since they were sequential.
[0]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erp8IAUouus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erp8IAUouus
- goialoq 9y agoSSNs are 9 digits, which means that mathematically 1 of 3 SSNs must be valid
- MarkPNeyer 9y agoUnpacking this for others who scratched their heads like I did: There are 1 billion possible social security numbers. There are roughly 300 million people in the USA. So roughly 1/3 possible SSN’s is currently in use.
- andruby 9y agoDoes the US re-use previously issues SSN's when people die? With such a limited numeric space, they probably have to, right?
- akvadrako 9y agoYes, they do.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- djrogers 9y agoHaven’t had to yet - they’ve only been around since the ‘30s and we haven’t quite used them all up yet.
- icebraining 9y agoQ20: Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies? A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder's death. Even though we have issued over 453 million SSNs so far, and we assign about 5 and one-half million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system. https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html
- gberger 9y ago100 years doesn't really equate to "several generations"...
- lobster_johnson 9y agoA couple of years ago I accidentally filed my tax return with a typo in the SSN. I was stunned to find that the IRS accepted it. It took months to fix.
- et2o 9y agoMy twin and I have SSNs a single digit apart.
- Danihan 9y agoWhy would that be surprising? They are incremental, as far as I know..