Celebrate Uncle Albert’s Birthday with Pi (and Pie)!
In a wondrous coincidence, Albert Einstein was born in 1879 on March 14, a date that reminds us of 3.14, the approximate value of Pi, a number that provides good fun and a great pun. On Friday, March 12, the College of Medicine will kick off an all-weekend virtual birthday party with Einstein Giving Day, a campus-wide fundraiser supporting our students, that also includes three challenges in which anyone can take part (no donation required).
It’s Uncle Albert’s birthday on Pi Day! Enjoy this fun video and join us in some infinite, virtual fun!
From Friday through Sunday, March 14, Einstein’s community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents are invited to take part in the festivities outlined by our office of alumni relations on its “Piece of the Pie” page. Those who are camera shy can also take part since anyone can vote for their favorites among the posted photographs.
![If you ate 2π radians’ worth of pie, how much did you eat? (See Uncle Albert below for the answer.)]()
If you ate 2π radians’ worth of pie, how much did you eat? (See Uncle Albert below for the answer.)
"We're very excited to share this special celebration of Pi and of our namesake with our Einstein family--students, alumni, staff, faculty, donors, and parents," said Min Um-Mandhyan, director of alumni relations. "Pi is infinite, and this year's virtual Pi Day is helping us connect with our internal and external communities through a variety of fun and unique challenges beyond geographical limits. And whether participating in a contest or making a donation, participants can enrich the experience our students have at Einstein."
Pi, as you may recall from geometry class, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and it figures in calculations of the area of a circle (rememberπr2?) and dimensions of spheres, cylinders, and other roundish shapes. The ancient Babylonians and Egyptians knew about this constant.
“It’s one of those fundamental truths in the world that we just observe and don’t fully understand,” said Dr. William Jacobs, Jr., professor of microbiology & immunology, tuberculosis researcher, and former math major. “It’s amazing that it’s lasted this long and never been invalidated.”
Get Your Pi On
Though we often value Pi at 3.14 or 3.1416, the number goes on ad infinitum. But don’t let that stop you from accepting the Pi Recitation challenge: How many numerals beyond the decimal point can you recite from memory without looking?
Srinivas Aluri, an associate in molecular pharmacology, is our current champion from past Pi Day competitions; he recalled 120 digits in 2019, surpassing then medical student Elisa Karp’s recitation of 106 digits the year prior. Another medical student, now alumna Amy Kang was the inaugural champ, reciting pi to the 67th decimal place.
![You ate the whole pie!]()
Answer: You ate the whole pie!
Think you’re up to the challenge? Then record yourself (without peeking) and send your video to webrunners@einsteinmed.org. It will be posted on the Pi Day site for all to see. While you may not surpass the all-time record of 70,000 decimal places held by Rajveer Meena of India, you can still have a shot at winning the Einstein challenge!
To enter the Bake Your Own Pie and/or Dress Like Einstein challenges, simply post a picture of your best pie or best Einstein attire (wigs and fake mustaches are acceptable in creating your best impression) on the Pi Day site. Prizes include pie plates (or pi plates) and Einstein swag. Winner of the Dress Like Einstein challenge will also be interviewed by Dean Gordon Tomaselli.
To enter the challenges, click on “ADD PHOTO,” complete the online form, and upload your photo(s) and/or submit your video to webrunners@einsteinmed.org. If you prefer to be a spectator, you can vote by clicking the thumbs-up symbol at the corner of an image. You can vote for multiple competitors, but we ask that you only vote for any single image just once. We also invite you to view this fun Pi Day Trivia, brought to you by human resources who, along with student activities and the graduate program, supported our Pi Day celebration.
Posted on: Monday, March 08, 2021