How To Celebrate A 'Once In A Lifetime' National Pi Day In Colorado
DENVER (CBS4) - Are you ready to geek out with me?
Saturday, Mar. 14 is National Pi Day, as declared by the 111th U.S. Congress in 2009.
We're talking 'Pi' as in mathematics, not that scrumptious creation from you mother's or grandmother's kitchen.
To celebrate the number best known as 3.14, you could take a walk or run equal to 3.14 miles along your favorite trail.
If you feel like taking a road trip head east of Denver along Interstate 70 into central Arapahoe County and snap a picture of the 314 mile marker, as long as you are a passenger and not the driver!
If you'd like to take a road trip of a different kind, head on over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and travel with your family down the Silk Road.
While the virtual journey is actually much longer, you could pretend it's just 3.14 miles long.
Traveling the Silk Road will allow you to hop on your camel and hear fascinating tales from historical enactors along the way.
After your trip to the museum, you could make a quick stop at your favorite restaurant and order dinner along with a piece of pie, then surprise your waiter or waitress by adding an additional $3.14 to your tip.
This year National Pi Day is extra special and something that will only happen once in a lifetime.
The number that represents Pi, 3.14159265359, will happen on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 am, corresponding perfectly with the first 10 digits.
To teach you a little more about Pi here's a great website.
The following is copy directly from House Resolution 224 back in 2009 when National Pi Day was declared by Congress.
Whereas the Greek letter (Pi) is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference
of a circle to its diameter;
Whereas the ratio Pi is an irrational number, which will continue infinitely
without repeating, and has been calculated to over one trillion digits;
Whereas Pi is a recurring constant that has been studied throughout history and
is central in mathematics as well as science and engineering;
Whereas mathematics and science are a critical part of our children's education,
and children who perform better in math and science have higher
graduation and college attendance rates;
Whereas aptitude in mathematics, science, and engineering is essential for a
knowledge-based society;
Whereas, according to the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS) survey done by the National Center for Education
Statistics, American children in the 4th and 8th grade were outperformed
by students in other countries including Taiwan, Singapore, Russia,
England, South Korea, Latvia, and Japan;
Whereas since 1995 the United States has shown only minimal improvement in math
and science test scores;
Whereas by the 8th grade, American males outperform females on the science portion of the TIMSS survey, especially in Biology, Physics, and Earth Science, and the lowest American scores in math and science are found in minority and impoverished school districts;
Whereas America needs to reinforce mathematics and science education for all
students in order to better prepare our children for the future and in
order to compete in a 21st Century economy;
Whereas the National Science Foundation has been driving innovation in math and
science education at all levels from elementary through graduate
education since its creation 59 years ago;
Whereas mathematics and science can be a fun and interesting part of a child's
education, and learning about Pi can be an engaging way to teach
children about geometry and attract them to study science and
mathematics;
Whereas Pi can be approximated as 3.14, and thus March 14, 2009, is an
appropriate day for ``National Pi Day'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
- supports the designation of a ``Pi Day'' and its celebration around the world;
- recognizes the continuing importance of National Science
Foundation's math and science education programs; and - encourages schools and educators to observe the day with
appropriate activities that teach students about Pi and engage them
about the study of mathematics.
Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.
