Southwest, at the Fremont Vintage Mall, I found it ironic that the second faux patent poster I turned to was for… toilet paper. Toilet paper is a hot commodity in the Puget Sound area due to panic buying.
When I found t.p. at Bartell Drugs, I told the cashier that I was surprised to have made it to the cash register without being mugged. I realized I’d tucked it under my arm and approached the front like a linebacker.
Given that it was Pi Day (thank you to the Archie McPhee employee at the counter proudly wearing a Pi t-shirt), I had to go enjoy part of this pie…
…with this guy. He looked so regal on this stormy day as the boats bobbed in the marina that some special effects were in order.
Pi is a name given to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. That means, for any circle, you can divide the circumference (the distance around the circle) by the diameter and always get exactly the same number. It doesn’t matter how big or small the circle is, Pi remains the same. Pi is often written using the symbol π and is pronounced “pie”, just like the dessert.
Wherever a circle is, there is pi. Pi is important. Pi is a mathematical constant. As Scott Sabol’s blog states:
PI is used in most calculations in the fundamental development of all infrastructure, communications, quantum physics, music theory, medical procedures, DNA; propulsion systems for air travel, space and military aircraft.
Let’s not forget that pi was used in King Solomon’s time, is Einstein’s birthday (3/14– so cool considering pi is used in the theory of relativity), and came in handy when Spock defeated a diabolical computer by telling it to compute to the last digit of pi. You can find these and 47 other great facts about pi at 50 Interesting Facts About Pi.
(Wouldn’t that be a great child discipline tool? Kid, don’t you even think about coming out of that corner until you’ve recited the thousandth digit of pi!! Next time you apply copious amounts of glitter nail polish to your baby brother’s eyebrows, it’ll be ten thousand. Got it?!)
Pi has been calculated to over 10 trillion digits in recent years. You can view a million digits of pi at the Pi Day website (ooooh, ahhhh). Some mathematically minded people like to memorize pi– Chao Lu of China has recited nearly 68,000 of pi’s digits from memory.
Are you up to the challenge? See who else you’re competing against at the Pi World Ranking List. Here’s a screen shot:
Here in the Seattle area, you should keep an eye out for $3.14 pie specials. All PCC Markets, for example, are featuring 5 inch pies for $3.14. In the past the 3.14 Bakery in White Center has had them, and Pie in Fremont is offering deals from noon to 3:14 P.M. That’s appropriate considering Pi Day officially starts at 1:59 P.M. (3.14159).
If you really want to geek out (isn’t it glorious?), join me in listening to what the first few dozen digits of pi sound like. Yes, Kate Bush sang about pi and there are other pieces out there, but I like how this guy thinks. Happy Pi Day all!
