The Alabama State Legislature has again voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0. The controversial law mandates that textbooks be edited to reflect the new values by the fall of 2007. This is the latest in the state government's attempts to promote the teaching of science and mathematics in the state's public school sytem. Legislators in other states across the south and Midwest are debating official adoption of the new value.

 

Just another sine of the times.

 

It must be April.

 

Did anyboby co-sine that legislation? I hope this doesn't get us off on a tangent.

 

Are they the same people that do not want creationism taught in schools. If so, what the heck, they are already use to changing facts, why not something simple like Pi?

 

Nothing seems to stay constant these days?

 

I thought they were one of the ones that DID want creationism taught in schools instead of evolution? As always, I'm probably confused.

 

This being April Fool's Day and all, everyone seems to have caught on.

But Jim didn't make this up: go to Snopes.com and search on "value of pi".

The entry includes this tidbit:

"In 1897 the Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure redefining the area of a circle and the value of pi. (House Bill no. 246, introduced by Rep. Taylor I. Record.) The bill died in the state Senate."

So, given that Alabama is at least a century behind Indiana, this latest iteration might well have happened. HPH

 

I think we need to get to the (square) root of the problem.

 

Biblical value?