SciFri Celebrates π
14:52 minutes
This year holds an unusually special treat for enthusiasts of the constant π: March 14, 2015, written in abbreviated form, approximates π not just to the usual three digits (3.14), but to five: 3.14.15. Ian Stewart, emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick and author of Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers, joins us to celebrate π. “If you’re a mathematical number collector, like a butterfly collector, it would be one of your prized specimens,” he says.
Other Pi Day Activities:
- Read an excerpt about pi from Stewart’s book.
- Take our Pi Versus Pie quiz
- Kitchen Math: How to Eat π Pies
- Estimate pi by dropping virtual sticks.
Segment Guests
Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart is author of Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers (Basic Books, 2015) and Professor Stewart’s Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries (Basic Books, 2014) and emeritus professor of mathematics at University of Warwick in Warwick, England.
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About Christopher Intagliata
@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.