Today is Pi Day 2008. Pi, Greek letter (
), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535… Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th at 1:59 p.m. (*As noted in the comments, this only works if you write the month in front of the day.) The first theoretical calculation of a value of pi was by Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BC). You can celebrate with a Pi-Ku.
thinkBiotech has some new books out on biotechnology.
The Patent Office held a Biotechnology/Chemical/Pharmaceutical Customer Partnership on March 12. It included a presentation on the Patent Prosecution Highway and Enablement in Claims to Therapeutic Treatment.
The Collegiate Inventors Competition is now accepting entries for 2008. The Competition promotes exploration in invention, science, engineering, technology, and other creative endeavors and provides college students to compete based on the originality and inventiveness of their new idea, process, or technology. One Undergraduate and one Graduate winner or team each receive $15,000. One Grand Prize winner or team receives $25,000.
Gmo Food for Thought Blog has a piece on the discovery of the plant gene that controls the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed and water released by a plant. In practical terms, this means a plant that could both survive in severe drought conditions AND help fight global warming effects.
Since Spring is coming, I’ll mention that Husqvarna launched the world’s first automatic electric solar powered hybrid robotic lawn mower.
Finally, the baristas at Starbucks would like a $100 million tip back from the company. (Hat tip Blawgreview Ed.)
Hey, it’s only pi day if you follow the stupid US system of placing the month before the date. The rest of world, with its enlightened system of placing the date before the month, celebrates pi day at 1:59 AM on April 31. Or on the 3rd of Juneteen, the 14th month.
I like you blog and really appreciate the great links in your sidebar. Thanks!
I’ve got to say that, if I wanted to go green in more ways than one on the lawn care front, a push mower would seem to be obvious solution.