debgpi
A Rational Girl in Irrational Times
It’s time for Pi(e)!
Mar 14th
Happy Pi day! Google celebrates in style. A mathematician gives a rare Pi interview. Many of us eat Pi(e) for dinner (we had dutch apple pie – not as cute at the picture, I’m afraid).
But some purists are claiming that Real Pi Day is actually April 17, when the Earth is 1/? from the winter solstice:
March 14 is the vulgar Pi Day. Sure, calling 3/14 “Pi Day” may seem cute, and it makes for good media coverage, but the commemoration of a transcendental constant should not be tied to the grubby political vagaries that resulted in the Gregorian calendar’s accidents of number.
The 3/14 date may be a “vulgar,” but Pi is great enough that we can celebrate it more than once a year. And don’t forget, Pi Approximation Day is coming up on 22-7. More Pi(e) for everyone!
Getting ready to hustle
Feb 23rd
Not as much time to blog lately because I’m getting ready to Hustle Up the Hancock, but I think I can find a few things in my tabs:
Just how deep is the Mariana Trench? Pretty deep – and it’s likely there are deeper trenches out there.
I’m a little paranoid about expiration dates, but it turns out I can relax a little (as long as the food is stored properly).
Go forth and earn yourself some Nerd Merit Badges.
I still want an iPad, but these Linux “Touch Books” are pretty tempting.
A busy week
Feb 15th
It’s Monday. The week has just started but there’s still a lot to do. I’ve got to plan dinner for the week, but here’s 30 recipe blogs to help with that. Got to catch up on on some old news – I see the Mars rovers are in a bit of trouble but maybe things aren’t so bad on Mars. And I need to figure out my next big tech purchase; guess I’ll avoid these failed Apple products.
The internet is for learning (meow)
Feb 10th
You can learn all kinds of interesting things by surfing the net, like how neurotransmitters work (as explained by cats) (no, really).
Color history
Feb 6th
This is kind of fun: the history of Crayola Crayon colors as a colorful bar chart.
And the results are in!
Feb 2nd
Well, some of them are. Some people I voted for won, some lost. We’ll be back at this again in November.
Last Minute Decisions
Feb 1st
I’ve done my last-minute research and I’m ready to vote tomorrow. This is a pretty important primary so be sure to get out there and vote, particularly for the judges. I’m not a fan of voting for judges, but they have a lot of power in Illinois and it’s important that we elect only the best.
Not sure how to evaluate judges? Check out Vote for Judges for more Information about Cook County judges.
Want to see who else is on your ballot? If you live in Cook County, you’ll find the election website is a handy tool.
Someday
Jan 27th
Someday I’m going to set up a company that will be staffed entirely by 12 year olds. Our one service will be to evaluate brand names.
Return of puppy cam
Jan 20th
I’m sure I’ve got some good links hanging around someplace, but until I can dig them out, have some puppies.
A matter of some debate
Jan 7th
These questions are harder than they look:
- A tree seed starts very small, but where does all of the stuff that makes wood for chairs and tables come from?
- Can you make a bulb light with just a battery and a single wire?
- Why is it hotter in summer?
- Draw a picture of the solar system. What shape are the planets’ orbits?
Answers in Jonathan Drori’s TED video (though some would debate even his answers – science is fun).
And a link since no one believes me when I tell them the answer to the 4th question.
