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. Represented by the symbol π, this tasty-sounding number 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 with a pie. It began in 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw connected the date (3/14) with the first three digits of π. 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 which has grown over an arch into 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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Behold the perfect cone
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Sea fireflies at the seashore
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Sami lavvu structures, Finnmark, Norway
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Shark Fin Cove, California
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When science looks like magic
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Fresh water on the Silk Road
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An icy extravaganza
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Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
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Where do those colors come from?
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A light at the edge of the world
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Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
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Irohazaka road
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A garden of prickly delights
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St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland
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50 years of World Heritage Sites
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An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
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Arches National Park, Utah
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Wander the ancient medina
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200th anniversary of Brazilian independence
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AAPI Heritage Month & Lei Day
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The first ascent
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Notes from an underground lake
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National Find a Rainbow Day
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The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy
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Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
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High seas commerce
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Who created the Easter Bunny?
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Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
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Meet our fuzzy Earth Day mascot