They say the only constant in life is change. In mathematics, however, there are many constants and today, we"re celebrating perhaps the most famous of them all: pi. This tasty-sounding constant is the ratio of a circle"s circumference to its diameter, approximately 3.14159. Every March 14, mathematics fans across the world get baking to mark Pi Day—a celebration of both the mathematical constant π and its delicious homophone, pie. It began in 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw connected the date (3/14) with the first three digits of this constant. Today, mathematicians and enthusiasts celebrate Pi Day with pie eating and pi reciting. Did you know that when your clock strikes 1:59 today, you will be three decimal places closer to the real value of pi? Pi is everywhere, even in nature. Pictured here is a bodhi tree in the shape of the pi symbol at Wat Phra Ngam, a temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Whether you"re a math geek or just in it for the treats, Pi Day is for everyone to enjoy!
Happy Pi Day!
Today in History
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Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
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Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
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Wheatear, Peak District National Park, England
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Postcard from Italy
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World Rivers Day
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A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
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Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
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Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
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Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
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Tibetan New Year
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Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
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Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
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When only a hug will do
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Grand slam tournament
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On the edge
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Ljubljana, Slovenia
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West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
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Male hooded merganser, Oregon, United States
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Happy Easter!
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Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States
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Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
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Where fire and water meet
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The cliffs and canyons of Zion National Park
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Nimble and stealthy
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Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
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Turtle-y nice day for a swim
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All is calm
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San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
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Festival of British Archaeology
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

