Pi and Chips

Nicholas Sze from the technology firm Yahoo has calculated the 2,000,000,000,000,000th digit of π and he has determined that digit is ZERO. He has used 10 computers, and ‘Hadoop  cloud computing technology’ and it took 23 days. This is more than double the previous record.

Has the man nothing better to do with his time?

3.141592653589793238462643383279…………..

Personally I am quite happy with 22 ÷ 7 as a working figure when I am sewing or making simple models. Back in the Dark Ages, when I started at Secondary School, we had to learn the first 30 places with this mnemonic rhyme. No, I am not sure I understand either – and I have never had call to use it, except as an occasional party trick.

Sir, I send a rhyme excelling,

In sacred truth and rigid spelling,

Numerical spirits elucidate,

For me the lexicons wont weight,

If nature gain, not you complain

Tho' Dr Johnson fulminate.

I treasure this postcard which Steph sent us many years ago. I don’t think she thought it represented Bob and myself!