3.14.15 are first six numbers of Pi, the constant mathematical number that represents a circle’s circumference in relation to its diameter. It’s ok if you forgot, but the number continues infinitely without repetition or pattern. This number also shares today’s date, March 14. Today is a once in a century occasion because the number is now extended by two with ’15 at the end of the date.
Whether you are a mathematician, a gourmand, or a Guinness World Record challenger, here are some ways you can celebrate today:
1. In honor of the nationally recognized Pi Day, NASA’s California based Jet Propulsion Laboratory has put together some real world challenges aimed for students in grades 4 through 11. The activities are complete with a handouts for teachers for support. The problems were written by several of NASA’s scientists and engineers and concern many of the current kinds of problems they encounter. This is the second year running NASA’s education program has put together this challenge, whose answers may prove to be as dizzying as pi itself.
2. A tradition on Pi Day has been to recite from memory as many decimal places in the number as possible. In November of 2005, after four years of practice the 24-year-old Lu Chao, a Chemistry student in China was published in the Guinness Book of World Records for reciting 67,890 places of the number in the Shaanxi Province. According to Guinness book of world records, it took him 24 hours and four minutes and was recorded on 26 videotapes with eight witnesses.
If you are up to this amazing, undoubtedly crazy feat, piday.org is promoting an android app to install that allows you to train yourself to memorize 1500 of the number places.
3. But it may be more fun to eat pie and sing happy birthday to Albert Einstein who would be 136 today.
