Friday, March 14, 2008

Happy Pi Day!


Winter is just about done, the days are getting longer, so it is high time to celebrate Pi Day! Yes, the ubiquitous irrational number that is interwoven into all sorts of cool and useful physical and mathematical equations has its day today. Did you know that without the knowledge of the value of pi, that many things we take for granted would be impossible? Pi has founds its way into the very fabric of our lives. Without it, transmission of electricity, television and radio broadcasts, packaging of food, just to name a few, would not be possible. So, stand tall and be proud, Pi. Today is your day!

9 comments:

Big Johnny said...

I'm more of an "i" guy myself...

Lisa said...

Of course, we social science majors and lawyers have no idea what you're talking about. Now, had you said, "Happy Pie Day," I'd have figured you were brewing up some sort of creme de menthe special for St. Paddy's day. I'm all for "Happy Pie Day," if that's the case.

I hear it goes great with corned beef!

L.

Deirdre Honner said...

When Paul wished me 'happy Pie day' this morning, I thought that he was going to make me an Apple pie. Lisa, I have a nice recipe for Creme de menthe pie, and John, I have NO IDEA what you are talking about.

All I know is that I am NOT getting an apple pie...

Paul's Blog said...

Just wait until 2015, when Pi Day will cause for even more celebration. You see, in 2015, the date will be 3/14/15, which is the same as the first five digits of the value of pi!

Now don't you wish you, as a "social scientist," had actually paid attention in calculus? You could truly better understand and appreciate Pi Day. :-)

Deirdre Honner said...

Again, all I know is that I am NOT getting pie. Pluth.

Lisa said...

In 2015, my kid will be 10, I'll be 51, and I'll probably be singing Kumbaya around a campfire with a bunch of little girls wearing green sashes and berets. So, to hell with that. Bake your wife an apple pie, will you?

I never took calculus. I'm a lawyer, remember?

L.

Paul's Blog said...

Lisa,
How unfulfilled your life must be, given that you never took calculus. Perhaps you could take a calculus class at Arizona State or Phoenix College? If you did, you would truly learn the meaning and significance of Pi Day!

I am also trying to visualize you at a campfire in 2015, wearing a green beret and singing songs with the Tot...

Paul

Big Johnny said...

Calculus....pffffttt....that's for the music and poetry majors...

Let's talk a little topology...or perhaps complex variables (i is the square root of -1, Deidre)...or my favorite...abstract algebra...rings and fields...oooohhhh

Paul's Blog said...

Big Johnny,
Now you're talking! Maybe we can get a discussion thread going about the utility of logarithms used in higher mathematics, either natural logarithms or base 10 based logarithms. Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Paul