Ya can't make it up: House praises pi

POLITICO ^ | 2-12-09 | David Rogers

[smoothsailing]

Ya can't make it up: House praises pi

By: David Rogers

March 12, 2009 05:02 PM EST

With the world swirling about it, the House took a moment Thursday to honor pi, the Greek letter symbolizing that great constant in mathematics representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. An irrational number that has been calculated to more than 1 trillion digits, pi is a concept not totally foreign to today’s Washington. But in this case, the goal was to promote efforts by the National Science Foundation to improve math education in the United States, especially in the critical fourth to eighth grades.  Rounded off, pi equates to 3.14, hence the designation of March 14 as Pi Day under the resolution. Informal celebrations have been held around the country for at least 20 years, but Thursday’s 391-10 vote is the first time Congress has joined the party. “I’m kind of geeked up about it,” Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) told POLITICO. “It’s crazy, but I’m a whole lot more excited about that than congratulating the winner of last year’s Rose Bowl.  “I’m not making this up. I have been fascinated by pi since I was a kid. It blows my mind. It’s lovely. The fact that it’s sort of this infinite number. I just think it’s this magical thing. ... There’s a real beauty to mathematics.” Engineering and technology companies backed the effort, and like most things in the House, there’s a San Francisco angle. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has pressed hard for Congress to do more to promote science, and the San Francisco Exploratorium, in her home city, takes credit for the first Pi Day celebration in 1988, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces and then consuming fruit pies. “I am asking our nation’s students and teachers, for all of our sake, to go out and have fun around Pi Day,” said Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.) who managed the bill on the floor this week for the House Science Committee. March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein — adding to the convergence of big ideas. “It makes you realize how consequential you really are,” Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) said with a smile. But there’s always one: “We were never good at math in my family,” said Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.). “I thought I was voting for p-i-e.”

© 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC

[exit82]

Where my pi at, fool!

[Proud_texan]

Hehe, so do I but then the joke doesn’t work.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

hehehe

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

With the world swirling about it, the House took a moment Thursday to honor pi, the Greek letter symbolizing that great constant in mathematics representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

You idiots!

[Turret Gunner A20]

As compared to irrational numbskulls who have miscalculated the budget by a trillion dollars pi's degree of irrtionality fades into insignificance.

There -- fixed it.

[Turret Gunner A20]

Not over here, I make it in a cast iron skillet.

GROSS INSULTING HERESY!!!!!! You are either a damyankee, from a very backward country, or you're the nutcake I said on another thread you are. Which is it? Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Turret Gunner A20]

See Post # 46/

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I make cornbread the way my mother made it, the way her mother taught her and the way HER mother taught her.

If that’s not good enough for you too f*cking bad. You don’t have to damn well eat it.

[Kozak]

Politicians and Pi don't mix...



Indiana bill sets the value of pi to 3

[Turret Gunner A20]

I make cornbread the way my mother made it, the way her mother taught her and the way HER mother taught her.

Good for you.

If that’s not good enough for you too f*cking bad. You don’t have to damn well eat it.

My, My, My. Aren't we the humorless hothead??? Your tagline describes you to a T.

It looks like someone who wishes to make a joke with yu should fully explain every possible nuance of it, to be sure you won't misundertand. Whis you sure as hell misunderstand my post which seems to have put a burr under your saddle.

Get a life. And particularly development at leeast a small sense of humor. It really does make life more pleasant. PS. I assure you that I won't bother you again -- with humor or anything else.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

You’ve come at me twice questioning my sanity then hurled damned-yankee, a near mortal insult, at me without any indication it was meant in jest. It IS quite impossible to read intent online hence my tagline. How could I have divined your meaning?

There have been more than a few people here on FR who thrived on being flaming *ssholes and hounding people from thread to thread and I’ve had run ins with a few of them. Believing you to be the same pissed me off.

Now That I understand you were joking, I apologize for the over reaction. Perhaps you aren’t the douche I believed you to be. I am sorry to have misjudged your posts.

[Turret Gunner A20]

You’ve come at me twice questioning my sanity then hurled damned-yankee, a near mortal insult, at me without any indication it was meant in jest. It IS quite impossible to read intent online hence my tagline. How could I have divined your meaning? There have been more than a few people here on FR who thrived on being flaming *ssholes and hounding people from thread to thread and I’ve had run ins with a few of them. Believing you to be the same pissed me off. Now That I understand you were joking, I apologize for the over reaction. Perhaps you aren’t the douche I believed you to be. I am sorry to have misjudged your posts.

Don't worry about it.