It was pointed out to me that yesterday was π Day (3/14), which only works if you use the American system of dates, month/day/year, rather than the resolution scale model of day/month/year used by everyone else it seems. A bunch of Berkeley students decided to celebrate by chalking some few hundred digits of π on the sidewalk, extending from the math building north to the engineering buildings. It came as a surprise to some that I found it not very reminiscent of MIT. I’m not sure exactly what made it ring false. Perhaps it was too cute, or not esoteric enough. Perhaps it was the fact that you couldn’t possibly chalk the digits of π into the sidewalk at MIT in the middle of March since there might be snow on the ground, as opposed to the currently sunny and 82 degree weather in Berkeley. But whatever it was, it felt silly and just the thing for the week before Spring Break.

Oh, and happy Ides of March everyone. Make sure to warn your local emperor.