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Memorial Set For 'Pi Day' Creator (sfgate.com)
"Three-point-one-four was more than a number to museum curator Larry Shaw," writes the San Francisco Chronicle. Long-time Slashdot reader linuxwrangler writes: In 1988 at a retreat for San Francisco Exploratorium staff, Larry Shaw proposed linking the digits of pi, which begins 3.14, with the date March 14. Initially the "holiday" was only celebrated by museum staff but it didn't take long for the idea to spread and Pi Day was born.
For 38 years, Mr. Shaw donned a red cap emblazoned with the magic digits and led a parade of museum goers, each of them holding a sign bearing one of the digits of pi. Shaw died August 19 at age 78 and a memorial is planned for Sunday September 24.
The memorial will be held in Mill Valley, California, the Chronicle reports, adding that "pie will be served."
For 38 years, Mr. Shaw donned a red cap emblazoned with the magic digits and led a parade of museum goers, each of them holding a sign bearing one of the digits of pi. Shaw died August 19 at age 78 and a memorial is planned for Sunday September 24.
The memorial will be held in Mill Valley, California, the Chronicle reports, adding that "pie will be served."
Pi day was a nifty idea, and I enjoy celebrating it with my kids, but I find it symbolic in many ways of the problem with our modern society that we are celebrating the wrong day. Most mathematicians worth their salt will tell you that the important constant isnt pi, but tau.
I find it amusing that or society chooses to remember pi instead of tau demonstrating their overall flawed understanding of the correlations between math and geometry. The two are intricately linked
I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
As someone who believes in Tau (see the Tau Manifesto here: https://tauday.com/tau-manifes... ), I still want to thank Larry Shaw. I've eaten many good American pies because of him.
Tau day has never quite gotten the commercial backing that Pi day has. I blame Hallmark https://www.hallmarkecards.com... . Damn Pagans!
Next step is to memorialize whoever thought of creating Pi Day Creator Day
Perhaps now we can start teaching students about Tau (2Pi) and replacing Pi in our math texts.
Obligatory slashdot xkcd post. I'm sure Larry had it on his wall.
https://xkcd.com/10/
Should have been 22/7.
Don't worry, for all us un-americans there is a more accurate Pi day on 22/7 since 22/7 is a slightly better approximation to pi than 3.14.
Pi squared is ~9.87, so shouldn't the date be September 87th?
I did not know Larry Shaw personally, and yet I am saddened by his passing. Is this irrational?
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
YYYY-MM-DD is the only thing that makes any sense to me. Sorting alphanumerically also means sorting chronologically, and by time of day if you include the THH:MM:SSZ part.
The US and all the others should just ditch MM-DD-YYYY. Such a fucked up way representing a date.
The true circle constant that we should be using is circumference/radius. It would make so many things easier. Defining a circle by diameter doesn't even make sense as there are lots of shapes that can have the same diameter where as a radius uniquely defines a circle.
Learn something new and then tell your friends that Pi is the wrong circle constant. https://tauday.com/tau-manifes...
Still it is cool when anyone does something to promote math.
Or you could wait for the 3rd day if the 14th month. I’ll provide the pie for everyone who cares to show up.
I’m sure you’re the hit of your Fouth of May party, too, young padowan.
Sheesh, can’t you allow a little unpedantic joy in the world without getting all International Sustem of Units on everyone (oddly abbreviated SI and not IS, so you can tail about how that and UTC are both a huge mistake because it’s all about you).
I celebrate 14th March (by any spelling) by baking an Apple pie or a Key Lime pie in my Pi Plate (it’s a thing), whether it makes any sense or not, and now you can’t have any.
You could celebrate Pi day around the rest of the world on the 22nd of July.
Have gnu, will travel.