Fasters's definitions

Pi Dung

All the falsehoods, white lies, or fake news about the number π that conspiracy-minded Trumpublicans and QAnonists share on social media to their tribes, most of whom are ladle-fed with daily Fox News misinformation—for example, the googolth digit of π is the biblical value of 3; ET sent an apocalyptic message to earthlings on Pi Day via a Mar-a-Lago resort’s terminal.

Is pi dung a subset of woke math or a root of white supremacy math?

by Fasters February 22, 2022

Pi Thinking

A metaphorical way of saying to think creatively or divergently or laterally so that you might increase your chances of experiencing an aha!, just as the number π that beautifully or elegantly reveals itself in unexpected ways that its presence or occurrence often gives the reader a deep sense of mental satisfaction or excitement.

Besides showing thinking, window thinking, and sink thinking, where these activities often trigger an aha!, indulging in pi thinking ought to be encouraged as well.

by Fasters February 24, 2022

Mathematical Shrine

A shelf that displays your math memorabilia (abacuses, slide rules, polygonal stamps, math-related postcards, 3D wooden puzzles, topology toys, …) that are likely to be a topic of conversation as friends and strangers visit your home.

Ian’s mathematical shrine is made up of origami polyhedrons, magic card tricks, Napier’s rods, vintage calculators and clocks, and Lilliputian math books.

by Fasters February 24, 2022

Woke Pi

When a very small percentage of white privileged parents in some red states want public schools to fine or fire math and science teachers who preach that the number π is irrational; instead, they want them to teach that pi’s “true” value is three, citing 1 Kings 7:23 and 2 Chronicles 4:2 in the Bible as “proof” for their claim.

Under the banner of "parents' rights," a small aggressive group of alt-right Trumpublicans and “fine” patriots expect their oft-morally bankrupt senator to push for woke pi in all schools statewide.

by Fasters February 25, 2022

Two’s a Crowd

An undesirable situation for diners, because the pandemic has decimated so many lives worldwide that the authorities would allow foodcourts and restaurants to operate only if they limit to no more than one person per table at any time of the day.

Jeff was fined $3,000 the second time for breaking the “Two’s a crowd” rule twice, this time round for being caught at a fast-food outlet with an ex-colleague whom he’d not met for over a decade.

by Fasters March 6, 2022