Reader comments
Human-machine hybrids could someday be a reality

Friday the 13th does not come from the combination of two fears but a cruel act that took place in history that is right up there with the Da Vinci Code.

The Knights Templar was a religious military order designed to fight and protect Christian travlers going to Jerusalem after the first Crusade in AD 1099. They became very powerful once they received official approval from the Pope. They swore an oath of poverty, turning over all of their wealth to the order. This group became VERY rich. They introduce the concept of checking. You could deposit your money in a Knights Templar castle in Rome, travel to Paris and withdrawal it there. Being robbed along the way was a much bigger threat back then. The Knights scribe would give you a letter with code in it readable by the scribe in Paris, which would authorize the withdrawal, minus a fee.

The King of France became very jealous and issued a secret order that all Knights Templar were to be arrested, which they were. The secret, sealed order was ordered to be read and executed on Friday the 13th of October 1319(?). This is where the dreaded day came from.