Happy Pi Day

Jonathan writes "Today, the 14th of March, is Pi Day 2008. Pi Day is internationally celebrated in honor of the mathematical constant "Pi," who's actual value will — now and forever — remain unknown. NeoSmart Technologies has a run-down on the history of Pi, Pi Day, and the significance of Pi and other such "magical numbers" to science and technology. 'Pi isn't just a number that you can use to calculate circle-related mathematics, it's a symbol of something by far greater. Pi is one of many "magic" numbers that are found everywhere — if you know where to look. These magic numbers can't be explained, they just are. And if you use them right, they make it a lot easier to do a lot of really complicated things... In a way, they're a testimony to technology and computers (or vice-versa, depending on how you look at it).'"

Comments

Talk Like A Physicist Day

[klossner]

In addition to being Pi Day, today is Einstein's Birthday and Talk Like A Physicist Day:

Never say "I didn't sleep enough" - the correct way to say it is "It was observed that my sleep duration was less than average." Or (In Plank units), "I have a sleep deficiency of about ten to the power 47, which is about half an hour."

alternative representation in modular arithmetic

[peter303]

This schema fails if you continue to minutes and seconds:
March 14, 15:92:65

The proper representation is modular-place arithmetic. Instead of assuming each number chunk is either decimal or hundreds, you use the actual size of the place. The Calendar places are:
12 months
31 days
24 hours
60 minutes
60 seconds

So 3.14159265 is
3 months, remainder .14159265 months
4 days, remainder .3893706 days
9 hours, remainder .3448944 hours
20 minutes, remainder .693664 minutes
42 seconds, remainder .61984 seconds

In other words March 4 9:20:43

42

[Nathrael]

Hm, just by the way, already noticed that Pi multiplied with 13,37 is approximately 42? Mathematics definitely play an important role for solving the answer to life, the universe, and everything...