Technical Editor Margery Conner's PowerSource streams the latest developments in electronic power design and related technologies. Follow Margery on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/margeryc.
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Blog
Friday, March 14, 2008
Feeling irrational? Today is Pi Day!
Mar 14 2008 11:26AM | Permalink |Comments (12) |
Today is March 14, aka 3.14, aka Pi Day. And did you know why it’s called “pi” rather than some other Greek symbol? Wikipedia speculates it’s because of the similarity to “perimeter,” an old mathematician’s tale that I had never heard before.
Next week: Catherine Zeta-Jones’ relationship to the damping ratio in under- and over-damped systems.
Related entries in: Power Sources/Controllers |
Reader Comments
at 3/14/2008 1:40:20 PM, Rick Nelson said:
Reminds me, I forgot to celebrate e day (2.7) this year. And do you realize Europeans can't celebrate pi day? (It would have to fall on the third day of the fourteenth month.)
at 3/14/2008 2:20:00 PM, rincewind said:
Ah, that would make today "American Pi" day...my my..
at 3/14/2008 2:36:00 PM, B Keller said:
Did you know that at one time the Tennessee Legislature passed a law that the value to be used for PI was 4. I can only assume businesses wanted a simpler calculation to make for volume in Cans, but did not want to short change themselves by using 3, so they went with 4. I discovered this while researching the Scopes Trial back in High School, mumble mumble years ago.
at 3/14/2008 3:06:42 PM, A Real Engineer said:
Do you realize that articles like this make your whole enterprise look like a joke? I have a sense of humor but this type stuff I don't expect in a worthwhile technical publication.
at 3/14/2008 3:43:51 PM, A Pi guy from the UK said:
Feeling Irrational? Surely that could be extended to "Feeling Transcendental" since you are talking about Pi !
at 3/14/2008 3:48:50 PM, anon mouse said:
It is also Albert E.'s birthday today. The local middle school is serving free pi(e) today in his honor!
at 3/14/2008 3:56:23 PM, Jonathan Williams said:
Perhaps the Real Engineer will get a real life. Lighten up dude (or dudette).
at 3/14/2008 4:07:12 PM, George Grimes said:
Rick,
I always celebrate e day...of course, it is my birthday.
at 3/15/2008 5:27:30 PM, Over the Hill said:
I guess the Real Engineer never saw the Signetics data manual containing the data sheet for a write only memory.
at 3/17/2008 2:08:31 AM, Ian P said:
Alas and Alack, Pi day can't exist - for perfectly rational reasons. The problem is Pi moment, that instant when Pi achieves reality.
The Pi moment would be-
03.14.15:92:65 or the 65th second of the 92nd minute of the 15th hour of the 14th day of the third month.
The devil is always in the detail!
at 3/17/2008 8:16:35 AM, Johnboy said:
If you have ever worked with people from Tenness, you shoulld know that they cant do deciaml fractions without taking their shoes off....
at 3/17/2008 8:21:19 AM, Johnboy said:
Too bad Rod Serling has passed away. This could have been perfect for his show....
And there are always imaginary numbers to play with !
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