ZipiZen: Pi(e) Day 2009

It’s Pi Day once again — and considering its recent triumph in the US House of Representatives, this one’s extra-special. So ZipiNotes wishes to pay tribute to this, the first totally actually official Pi Day. Last year, we commemorated it with a treatise on pastry — which, considering the circular relationship between pi and pie, is completely on-topic. (Edit: And if you like that sort of thing, this Boston Common 3.14 pie fight might be right up your alley.)

But this year, we’re focusing on the math (sort of, anyway), with a spread of funny pie charts.

Let’s start things off meta, with a pie chart about pie.

eaten-pie

Liked that, did you? Well, how about this? (Not sure where they’re getting their figures, but I’ll bite.)

pies

In case this discussion was getting too cerebral for you …

lookslike

No humble pie — this is pity-the-fool pie.

mr-t

Because we can’t really presume to be nerdy without invoking XKCD.

mario-kart

Wakka wakka wakka!

pacman

Clearly, this graph has not taken these science-fair projects into account.

project

And an insightful peek behind the curtain of music journalism!

pitchfork

That’s no moon …

death-star

Not graphed: “Number of good post-Part II Godfather sequels.”

godfather

Funny? No. Delicious? Possibly.

chocolate-pie-chart

Likewise, these Economist pizza boxes are not so much laff-worthy as they are fiendishly clever. (Or perhaps depressingly desperate.)

pizza

Not sure what this ad is selling, but looks like there’s a 60% chance I’ll be charmed by its cleverness.

book

And mind games, courtesy Bizarro.

bizarro-pie-charts

Should you be in the market for more graph-related humor, you will not be disappointed by:
GraphJam
Indexed

Related post: http://zipinotes.com/happy-pi-day/

Posted by shaula on March 14th, 2009

Happy Pi Day!

pi pie
[photo courtesy megpi -- note the digits on the crust!]

Yes, today is 3.14 … which means it’s time for math-flavored absurdity and geeky carbohydrates!

Historical food blogger The Old Foodie has decided to downplay the numbers to put together five neat posts examining the history of “pi(e)” itself. (Though she does note that, all punning aside, pi and pie are inextricably linked by their geometrical associations.)

Her first installment rounds up a strange bestiary of extinct, exotic or long-forgotten pies, including eel pie (1861), bride pie (1660) and pies with live birds and frogs (1665).

And if all this gastronomic archaeology really lights your fire, I should point out that The Old Foodie’s forthcoming book, “The Pie, a Celebratory History,” will (hopefully) be available in late 2008.

Posted by shaula on March 14th, 2008