Let's see... it's March 14th, so here's my yearly attempt to recite digits of Pi (note that I have not prepared for this in any way and I am not cheating):

3.1415926535862698...

Now, I'll look it up and see how I did:

3.14159265358979323846...

Well, I got the first 9 digits past the decimal point correct, which is more than enough precision for almost any real-world task. What I find interesting is the similarity of patterns in the digits I got wrong when compared to the correct digits. I got the ABA pattern, followed by XY where Y = X-1. All of the digits past #9 are wrong, but there are recognizeable patterns. This illuminates something about how I go about memorizing things. It's all about patterns for me.

It's unclear if I was matching the patterns I described above, or if I simply misplaced the 626 that occurs 8 digits later, and transposed the 89 at digit 9 and tacked it on the end. Probably the latter, actually. I memorized 30 digits of Pi back in 2001 for a Pi party that I went to in Cambridge. I haven't put any thought into retaining these digits since then. So in four years I've lost 70% of it. Still at acceptable levels, though. :)

Anyway, enjoy a nice arbitrary holiday today. Reflect for a moment on the fascinating harmony of the universe and the beautiful symmetry of Pi. Or just eat a sandwich and go to work, I don't really care.

PS: it's also Einstein's birthday. So... leave your hair messy and ride a bike in a silly manner while sticking your tounge out. Or do something really really... smart.

Celebrate nerdosity.