Happy Birthday, Albert Einstein! Would you like some pi?

How fitting that the creator of the Theory of Relativity would be born on what we’ve dubbed as Pi Day (3/14). As you more than likely know, pi (π) is the result of dividing of a circle’s circumference by its diameter, a unique mathematical ratio that never ends and has no pattern that repeats itself. Albert Einstein was also unique, a neurodiverse individual with an incredible imagination, a mathematical and scientific genius, who would have frequently used pi in his calculations. He probably would have liked to have pi on his birthday a lot.

We here at Temple Grandin celebrate Albert Einstein and pi. We like the unique and the academic. Even as I write this blog post, Dylan Billiodeaux, one of our STEM teachers, is spending his lunch hour with a student discussing the various ways pi has been calculated. Have you ever heard of Ramanujan’s equation? This equation for pi was developed by Srinivasa Ramanujan, who claimed to be divinely inspired with it. Or what about Buffon’s Needle? In this mathematical problem, if you draw lines on a piece of paper then drop a set of needles on it, the probability that a needle of a certain length will hit a line is predicted by the number π. (You can try it for yourself in the simulation found here.)

Discussions such as this are fitting for our students, who are intensely curious. Albert Einstein asserted “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” We find ourselves inspired by him. Along with his incredible intelligence and creativity, he faced his own challenges. Some have claimed that Einstein began speaking late. Stories about him show that he was often disorganized, forgetful, impulsive, and inattentive. He also was socially awkward to a degree. Some have wondered whether he had ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and/or autism. Despite these challenges–or maybe because of them–Einstein helped us better understand the world of physics and gave us new concepts of time and space.

Many of our students at TGS experience similar challenges. We believe they also have a tremendous amount of potential. Like Einstein, they possess the joy of curiosity, of lifelong learning, that empowers them to make new discoveries and think critically, coming to their own educated conclusions about the world. When necessary, we serve them a liberal slice of pi to help them along.

Once again, Happy Birthday, Albert Einstein! Thank you for modeling for us what it means to be a little different and a lot curious about the world. We raise our pi-filled forks to honor you!

References:

Albert Einstein quotes. (n.d.). Brainyquote. Retrieved March 12, 2021 from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_einstein_174001

Buffon’s Needle. (n.d.). MSTE. https://mste.illinois.edu/activity/buffon/

Cunnah, L. (2020, August 13). 5 famous achievements founded by neurodiverse individuals. AYOA. https://www.ayoa.com/ourblog/achievements-founded-by-neurodivergent-individuals/

Did Einstein have dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and ADHD? (2019, December 20). Exceptional Individuals. https://exceptionalindividuals.com/about-us/blog/did-einstein-have-dyslexia-dyspraxia-autism-and-adhd/

Pi. (2021, February 24). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi

Redd, N.T. (2017, November 17). Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Space.com. https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html

Srinivasa Ramanujan. (2021, March 2). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Ramanujan