Pi in the Sky

Pi -- symbolized π -- is a mathematical concept. Take any perfect circle, measure the circle's diameter (the distance of a straight line through the middle of circle) and the circumference (the distance around the circle). Then divide the circumference by the diameter.

The answer you'll get -- roughly 3.14 -- is the answer you'll always get. Pi is an unchanging constant, true of every (perfect) circle regardless of the circle's size. Pi is also, interestingly enough, an infinite number: while we generally round off at 3.14, the actual number of pi is 3.14159265358979323 ... and so on.

March 14, being 3/14, is National Pi Day. So we've rounded up some resources about pi (the number) and pie (the rather tastier treat). Be sure to celebrate this day as you best see fit.

(We like key lime ourselves.)


PI: 

Read about pi (from the Catalog):

Non-fiction:

-- Pi: A Biography of the World's Most Mysterious Number by Alfred S. Posamentier and Ingmar Lehmann.

-- The Joy of Pi by David Blatner.

-- Pi-Unleashed by Jörg Arndt and Christoph Haenel.


Fiction:

-- Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool - This YA read features Early Auden, an unusual kid who is reading through the number pi like it's the best story he's ever heard.

-- Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Tired of his full name, "Piscine Molitor Patel," the book's hero soon comes to style himself "Pi" ... in tribute to the irrational number.

-- Contact by Carl Sagan - This sci-fi novel uses pi as a story-altering plot device.

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Read about pi (from the web):

-- Pi Day - The holiday's website.

-- A Brief History of Pi - from the San Francisco Exploratorium.

-- 100,000 Digits of Pi - Courtesy of the University of Illinois.

-- The Pi-Search Page - What to see where your birth date shows up in the infinite numbers of pi?  Use this search engine to look through the first 200 million digits!

-- Pi Land - Some fun with pi.

News about pi (from the web):

-- Friday is Pi Day - It's an official national holiday!  A look at some of the nation's celebrations of Pi Day. (USA Today)

-- Calculating Pi for Pi Day - An Associate Professor of Physics calculates pi using everyday objects. (Wired.com)

-- Pi Day: An Infinite Number of Ways to Celebrate - A collection of features celebrating Pi Day. (NPR)

-- See a Man Recite 1,010 Digits of Pi. From memory. (Washington Post)

American Pie Council: Check out the official website of the American Pie Council, who is celebrating Pi Day. Be sure not to miss their fantastic activity packet!

PIE:

Read about pie (from the Catalog):

-- Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie by Ken Haedrich

-- The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

-- Pies and Tarts: How to Make More Than 50 Scrumptious Pies and Tarts by Carla Bardi

-- Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts: 150 Recipes For Old-Fashioned and Modern Favorites from the editors of Martha Stewart Living

-- Simply-- Gluten-Free Desserts: 150 Delicious Recipes for Cupcakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Old and New Favorites by Carol Kicinski

-- Crazy About Pies: Irresistible Pies For Every Sweet Occasion by Krystina Castella

Read about pie (from the web):

-- How to Make a Pie From Start to Finish - from TheKitchn.com.

-- Pie-Making 101: How I Overcame My Fear Of Crumbling Crust - from NPR.org.

-- Perfect Pie Recipes and Tips - from Epicurious.com.

-- How to Make a Pie Crust, Step by Step - from AllRecipes.com.

-- The Pie Academy - from the author of Pie (see link above).

-- Pie Making Tips - from The American Pie Council

Watch videos about making pies:

-- How to Make Apple Pie - from AllRecipes.com

-- Apple Pie Recipe and Video - from JoyOfBaking.com

-- Joyce Maynard's Homemade Apple Pie - from Curious.com



-- Post by Ms. B and Tracy

Birthday Biography: Walking on the Sun

"Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you that mine are still greater."


I took a cultural history class in college that included a section on Albert Einstein, focusing in particular on his life, and on his best-known contribution to science: the theory of relativity.

The class was a seminar being co-taught by three professors -- from the physics, theology, and history departments. I vividly remember a day when the physics and theology professors got into a heated debate over a particular aspect of special relativity, which the physics professor was illustrating to the class with the example of solar flares.

"Let's say that Person A is standing on the sun -- and somehow not instantly burned to a crisp -- and Person B is standing on the Earth. They are both observing the sun when there's an eruption on the sun's surface at 12:00 P.M. But the sun is far enough away from Earth that the sun's light takes eight and a half minutes to travel to Earth. So, while Person A sees the explosion take place at 12:00 P.M., that same explosion won't actually take place until 12:08 for Person B."

"So when does the explosion actually happen, then?" pipes up the theology professor. "The explosion actually takes place at 12:00 P.M., right?"

"Only to Person A. To Person B, it takes place at 12:08."

"But when does it actually happen?"

"Well. It's -- it's relative."

The argument hardly ended there, but you get the idea. After all, the theory of relativity -- like all of Einstein's revolutions to the science of physics -- can be a little rough to wrap your mind around.

"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute - and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity."


Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. (Which, by happy coincidence, is also Pi Day!) The common belief that Einstein flunked math as a child isn't true, but neither was he a prodigy -- in fact, Einstein didn't start speaking fluently until age nine. And yet, when it came to science, he'd already found a strong draw towards the mystery of nature; he was only five when he started wondering about the invisible force directing a compass needle. He was 12 when he first started studying Euclidean geometry, excelling in both differential and integral calculus at the age of 16.

His secondary education ended not because he was flunking math but because his "poor behavior" got him expelled! Einstein hated school life and was known for having a rebellious streak in him. He failed an entrance examination into the Federal Institute of Technology (FIT) in Zurich, and so he detoured to the catonal school in Aarau, Switzerland. His diploma from the catonal school earned him automatic acceptance into the FIT. It was at FIT that he realized his passion was not strictly for mathematics, but rather in the fields of experimental and theoretical physics.

In 1900, Einstein passed his diploma examination at the FIT, but he wasn't offered a university assistantship from any of his professors. He spent several years working in a patent office in Bern, Switzerland, marrying Mileva Maric (a former Zurich classmate); they eventually had two sons. At age 26, Einstein was able to finish the requirements for his doctoral degree and began writing the first of his many innovative scientific papers.

"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it."


First lecturing at the University of Bern, Einstein would be made an associate professor to the University of Zurich -- only to soon be appointed a full professor at the German University in Prague, and then a full professor at the FIT. In 1913, Einstein accepted a research professorship at the University of Berlin. He left for Germany, though his wife and sons remained behind (he and his wife would later divorce).

Einstein was an extensive world traveler. He was given an honorary visiting professorship at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and during 1921-1922 he toured with Chaim Weizmann, the future president of Israel, to promote the cause of Zionism. (Einstein, both German and Jewish, was quickly rebuked by Germany for his actions, causing Einstein to eventually resign from the Prussian Academy of Science in 1933.)

Einstein also made several trips to the California Institute of Technology, and in 1933 -- the same year as his resignation from the Prussian Academy of Science -- he accepted a position at the new Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton.

In 1939, Einstein signed a famous letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging Roosevelt to contact physicists who were working on the discoveries and possibilities of a new type of bomb based on the chain-reaction properties of uranium. But Einstein, a lifelong pacifist, would later be horrified with the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, and with his part in urging the U.S. government to look into the initial technology. "Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb," he said later in an interview, "I never would have lifted a finger."

After the death of Chaim Weizmann in 1952, Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel. He declined, thinking himself not experienced enough with politics to accept such a position. Einstein continued his work in physics until nearly the end of his life. He died on April 18, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey.

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."


When reading up on Albert Einstein, you don't have to be a physicist to appreciate his wit, wisdom, and his contribution to the study of science. Check out these links and reads to find out more about the world's most famous physicist.



More on Einstein:

- Albert Einstein: The Official Website!

- Princeton University: Celebrating Einstein's Birthday on Pi Day

- Chain Reaction: From Einstein to the Atomic Bomb - Discover Magazine

- Einstein: Imagine and Impact - The American Institute of Physics

- The Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem - Includes a lengthy biography, lists of resources, and links to Einstein for kids!

- Einstein's Big Idea: The Story Behind the World's Most Famous Equation - All about E=mc²

- Memorable Albert Einstein Quotes


Books by Einstein @ your Library

Books About Einstein @ your Library

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed."


-- Post by Ms. B