03/13/2015

SciFri Celebrates π

14:52 minutes

This year holds an unusually special treat for enthusiasts of the constant π: March 14, 2015, written in abbreviated form, approximates π not just to the usual three digits (3.14), but to five: 3.14.15. Ian Stewart, emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick and author of Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers, joins us to celebrate π. “If you’re a mathematical number collector, like a butterfly collector, it would be one of your prized specimens,” he says.

Other Pi Day Activities:

Segment Guests

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart is author of Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers (Basic Books, 2015) and Professor Stewart’s Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries (Basic Books, 2014) and emeritus professor of mathematics at University of Warwick in Warwick, England.

Meet the Producer

About Christopher Intagliata

Christopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.

Explore More

The Mystique of Pi

An excerpt from "Professor Stewart's Incredible Numbers."

Read More

Quiz: Pi Versus Pie

Put your pi(e) prowess to the test.

Read More

Kitchen Math: How To Eat π Pies

Methodically slice up four pies to reach the irrational number pi.

Read More

Estimate Pi by Dropping Sticks

A simulator based on one of the oldest problems in geometrical probability approximates pi.

Read More