Happy Pi Day!
Last year Bookman and I celebrated unconventionally with unround strawberry hand pies. This year we have gone back to traditional and round with pumpkin pie. We even drew a pi on top of it though it looks more like Stonehenge than pi. Bookman isn’t very good at drawing.
Pumpkin Pi
We used the rest of the pumpkin we grew in our garden last year, but our recipe takes three cups and we only had two. So Bookman hurried to the store to get a can of organic pumpkin to top us up to three cups. He could not find organic and asked someone. The guy took him over to the empty shelf and exclaimed in surprise. He knew for a fact there had been several cans of organic pumpkin there just a day or two ago and was baffled about them suddenly being all gone. Bookman said, “It’s Pi Day, that’s why they are gone!” And the guy had no idea what he was talking about. So Bookman had to settle for a can of “natural” pumpkin. The hazards of needing pie fixings on a day like today! It’s like trying to buy a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
Public Radio has an article about Pi Day with some fun facts. I am sure we all remember from math class that pi is a constant no matter the size of the circle. But because it goes on forever, as far as we know, it is called an irrational number. Pi has been calculated to 10 trillion digits past the decimal point and it took the computer scientist who did it 371 days. Or rather, it took his computer 371 days.
There is also a book written in Pilish, a “language” where the letters of each word follow the digits for pi. But if you really want to make an impression, then start memorizing. The world record for most digits memorized is held by Lu Chao of China. It took him 24 hours and 4 minutes to rattle off 67,890 digits. All you’d have to do is get to 67,891 and the record would be yours. Though of course you might want to make it 67,900 just to be safe. Piece of cake! Er pie.
Now that Pi Day is becoming popular among the general public, hardcore geeks are starting to disparage it and suggest that Tau, 6.28, or 2pi, is a more significant number. They advocate celebrating Tau Day on June 28th. Supposedly you get to eat twice as much pie.
Cute!
Thanks!
One of my favorite scenes in Life of Pi [the movie] is where young Pi writes out about four blackboards full of digits [he's writing out pi from memory] as a teacher follows along and keeps track of his accuracy in a book. Pi was doing this to earn respect from fellow classmates after being ridiculed for how his full name [Piscene] sounds like “pissing”. In the movie it seemed to be some finite number he wrote out — but maybe you are right about the number actually being infinite.
And on another note — that pie you made looks awesome!
I want some.
Cipriano, heh. I was hoping we could watch Life of Pi on Pi Day but sadly it is not on DVD yet. They missed a great marketing opportunity! The pie tastes pretty awesome too. There is still some left but not for long so you’d better hurry if you want a piece
I remember your Pi Day post last year … and I look forward to next year’s … I must say though that I never could, in my years of living in the US, come at Pumpkin Pie. I ate many many pies there and loved them all – except Pumpkin Pie. But, I do love the look of your Pi-decorated Pie. I can’t draw either so I was impressed!
whisperinggums, who knows what next year’s pie will be? Maybe we will go for pizza or a shepherd’s pie. Oh the possibilities! Pumpkin is my favorite pie. There are plenty of people in the US who don’t like pumpkin pie but it seems to be a very American thing. Maybe your tastebuds have to be indoctrinated from youth during years of Thanksgiving celebrations
I think so … my tastebuds are indoctrinated with Plum Pudding which plenty of Aussies don’t like though it’s our traditional holiday dessert.
Shepherd’s Pie? Now you’re talking!
Plum pudding is something I have never had. I like plums though
Lol Stefanie … The thing is, plum pudding doesn’t really have plums! Apparently “plum” is an old English word for dried grape or raisin, do plum pudding is a dense pudding comprising dried fruit.
No plums? Really? Go figure.
How funny about the dearth of organic pumpkin! It’s always a sad thing when too many people know about the same thing as you do, and thereby wreck your plans! :–)
rhapsody, the sudden run on organic pumpkin was rather amusing. Last year it seemed like hardly anyone knew about Pi Day and this year it’s everywhere!
We didn’t know about PI day and The Bears are distraught thinking about what they have missed. Fortunately, in the UK today is Red Nose Day, which means cake. They wouldn’t really have had any room for pie as well.
Alex, maybe next year The Bears can have a little pie. I like the idea of a day for cake too! I hope they got something tasty
But Tau Day just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
Someone at my work brought in a variety of pies yesterday–it was dangerous. I had to try both the pumpkin and the cherry! Can you have more than one favorite? When it comes to pies, I seem to be able to.
Danielle, I know Tau Day just isn’t the same. How fun that someone at your work brought in a variety of pies! Cherry pie, yum! When it comes to pie you are allowed to have as many favorites as you want
Pi day sounds like a great invention. Right now I think my son would happily swap his further maths textbooks for a piece of pie of any description! Me, I get lost once I’ve run out of fingers and toes, but I recently found I could make a strudel with puff pastry, eating apples and sultanas and no need for sugar. I can’t tell you how happy I am in my sugar-free zone to find a dessert I can actually eat!
Litlove, any day that encourages one to eat pie has to be a good day! Is it only white sugar you can’t have or all sweeteners? This pie does not use sugar but is sweetened with agave syrup, a low glycemic natural sweetener. Perhaps you could have a slice?