Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Spotlight: The Greek letter π (pi) is the symbol for the number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter; it can't be expressed as a fraction and it goes on forever. Equal to approximately 3.14, it's an irrational and transcendental number with an infinite, non-repeating decimal expansion. So far, it has been calculated out to over a trillion decimal places. We honor π today, on 3/14, Pi Day: some college math departments have parties or ceremonies discussing π and how it has affected our lives. Some celebrate by eating pie — pizza, fruit and otherwise, drinking piña colada and playing piñata. It's fitting that today is also Albert Einstein's birthday; he was born in 1879.

Quote: "If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" — Albert Einstein

Today's News:

• Mexico: US President Bush vows to push for immigration law reform (story)
• YouTube: sued, along with parent Google, for $1 billion by Viacom for copyright infringement over unauthorized video clips from cable (story)
• baby talk: may be beneficial for infants' brains (story)
• University of Illinois: votes to retire Chief Illiniwek, mascot deemed offensive (story)
• Harry Potter: to appear on stamps in France (for postal mail, not owl service (story)

Today's History:

• Faneuil Hall: hosted first town meeting in the US (1743)
• cotton gin: patented by Eli Whitney, contributing greatly to the economic development of the South (1794)
• Birmingham Six: Irishmen freed after years in jail for pub bombings; court said police fabricated evidence (1991)

Today's Birthdays:

• Hank Ketcham (1920-2001): creator of Dennis the Menace
• Quincy Jones (74): Grammy-winning musician, composer and producer
• Michael Caine (74): actor, Alfie, The Cider House Rules
• Billy Crystal (59): actor, When Harry Met Sally, Analyze This
• Prince Albert of Monaco (49): ruler of Monaco