We all know Pi (π) as 3.14... the number you use to calculate the area of a circle. But this seemingly simple constant is far more profound, mysterious, and controversial than you might imagine. Join Mark and Jane in this episode of "The Curious Machine" as we explore the endless enigma of Pi and uncover why this irrational number has shaped history, science, and even law.
We journey from ancient Greece, where mathematicians were obsessed with the philosophical quest of "squaring the circle" , to the bizarre true story of the Indiana State Legislature, which nearly passed a bill in 1897 to legally redefine Pi based on flawed mathematics.
In this episode, we dive into:
The Ancient Shockwave: Why the discovery that Pi is "irrational"—meaning its decimals run forever without a pattern—deeply unsettled the Pythagoreans, who believed the universe was built on perfect ratios.
The Impossibility Proof: How Pi’s "transcendental" nature finally proved that the ancient Greek challenge of squaring the circle with basic tools is mathematically impossible.
Legislating Math: The incredible case of Edward J. Goodwin, who attempted to legally change the value of Pi in Indiana, and the mathematician who stepped in to stop it.
The 100 Trillion Digit Quest: Why scientists are calculating Pi to trillions of digits—far beyond the 15 digits NASA uses for interstellar navigation—and what these extreme computations tell us about supercomputing.
Pi in the Fabric of Reality: Discover how Pi appears in unexpected places far beyond geometry, from Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics to the swing of a pendulum.
Cultural Cameos: From its bizarre appearance in the O.J. Simpson trial to hidden messages in Carl Sagan’s work, we explore Pi's footprint in popular culture.
Prepare to see this fundamental constant in a completely new light, as we reveal how Pi is woven into the very mathematical fabric of our reality.
