Pi Day will be celebrated on March 14, 2018. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.
Graham Leuschke is a mathematics professor at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences. He says Pi Day continues to grow in popularity because of the growth and flowering of “nerd culture.”
Leuschke says:
“I think people have realized more and more that math can be fun, and even slightly silly sometimes. Pi Day is a great time to goof around with math.
“The growing popularity of Pi Day probably also has to do with the growth and flowering of ‘nerd culture’. As it becomes culturally acceptable to be smart, showing that you’re smart has more and more appeal. References to π and Pi day can be bite-sized pieces of nerdery that fit in a tweet and advertise to everyone around you that you’re a smarty-pants too.
“Plus everybody loves pie, of course.”
To request interviews or get more information:
Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Communications and Marketing
T 315.443.1184 M 315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu | @DarylLovell
820 Comstock Avenue, Suite 308, Syracuse, NY 13244
news.syr.edu | syracuse.edu
Syracuse University
Syracuse University has received a $750,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate development and commercialization of innovations for “grid-interactive” and energy-efficient buildings. The project is focused on strengthening the regional innovation cluster in Central New York,…
Biomedical and chemical engineering Professor Shikha Nangia has been selected as a recipient of the American Chemical Society’s Women Chemist Committee 2022 Rising Star Award. The award recognizes nine women scientists who have demonstrated excellence in the scientific enterprise and…
The BioInspired Institute focuses on leading-edge research in materials and living systems and trains students at the undergraduate and graduate level. When the United States faced a reckoning on racism and structural inequities, BioInspired’s faculty and staff asked, “How can…
From an early age, Leonardo Rivera ’22 had a fondness for animals and wildlife conservation. Growing up in tropical Puerto Rico, the biology major on a pre-veterinary track remembers investigating the habits of hermit crabs in the sand, watching as…
Jennifer Ross, professor and department chair of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), is among a team of researchers that was recently awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design and create…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
