By Andrés Uribe, Expedition PR
In case you haven’t heard, this Thursday, 3/14, is Pi Day!
Pi day was started in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw. The first celebration consisted of Larry, staff, and friends marching in a circle and consuming fruit pies. 25 years later, Pi Day has become an international event that’s used to help raise awareness of the importance in math in everyday life. Here are seven fun ways to help get you in the Pi Day mood:
1. Know what you’re celebrating. When you celebrate a holiday you usually want to know what exactly it is that you’re celebrating. Unless of course that holiday is Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, or Valentine’s Day, then as long as you’re having Mexican beer, Irish carbombs, or a romantic dinner for two, respectively, you’re ok. But for one Japanese PhD student, Shigeru Kondo, the exhilarating Pi Day celebration alone just wasn’t enough. In October of 2011 Shigeru took it upon himself to calculate Pi to the 10 trillionth digit, a world record. Thanks to TWO-N designer Hermann Zschiegner we can now see 4 million of these digits artistically displayed for us in a single interactive image!
2. Watch Pi in dominos. This might not be the method Shigeru used to calculate pi to the 10 trillionth decimal place, but none the less a fun way to reach a close approximation. And even more fun to celebrate once the stacking is all done.
3. Play Pi Ball. See the jocks and the math geeks unite over this one. Pi Ball is a great way to compliment any Pi Day celebration.
4. Add some Pi Day flare to your blog. Sure to go viral amongst your blogger friends is the piday.org press kit. This press kit comes complete with hi res photos, badges and even a Pi Day countdown widget for you blog!
5. Try out a Pi Day pick-up line. Whether you’re single or not, these lines are sure to give you a chuckle. And if used properly, maybe even a date.
6. Compete in a Pi Day challenge. Last year we saw Ford embrace Pi Day through the use of Reddit. On Pi Day 2012 Ford’s marketing team worked with engineers to post a math question on Reddit every 3 minutes and 14 seconds. The first person to answer the question correctly won Reddit Gold. This national challenge was complimented by a local challenge where Ford representatives went to various Detroit area high schools where they handed out Pi Day prizes and taught students the importance of mathematics in everyday life. While Ford hasn’t mentioned any Pi Day 2013 celebrations being planned, I wouldn’t be surprised if they, and/or other major brands, joined in on the festivities this year.
7. Send a Pi Day greeting. What better way to tell someone happy Pi Day than these free Pi Day greetings.
Once you’re in the Pi Day mood, don’t be afraid to get a bit carried away with your celebrations. After all, there’s no celebration that’s too irrational for Pi Day.