The Exploratorium is helping San Franciscans take a bite out of Pi Day, the annual celebration that originated in The City and honors the number and its associated symbol.
The holiday celebration began in 1988, when the late Exploratorium physicist Larry Shaw led a staff retreat. Thinking of ways to keep the museum thriving in the aftermath of the death of Exploratorium founder Frank Oppenheimer — yes, the brother of that “Oppenheimer” — during the gathering, Shaw linked the March 14 date with pi’s digits.
Thursday marks the celebration’s 37th edition, which includes a doubleheader event of family-friendly fun and after-hours activities.
"We're really proud to see how Pi Day has grown from this humble homegrown event into a national holiday and really global celebration,” Janny Hu, the Exploratorium's director of communications, told The Examiner.
Since its inception, the event has become a favorite on the calendar for staff and visitors alike, Tu said.
Daytime Exploratorium visitors will be able to partake in a number of pi-related activities, including the annual “Pi Parade” around the museum at 1:59 p.m., which is a nod to the three digits following 3.14 in pi. The event features music from Mission Delirium, a local 12-piece brass and percussion band.
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The Pi Day parade ends in the Exploratorium’s front plaza, where participants will circumnavigate the “Pi Shrine'' — the brass, circular plaque that Shaw installed in 1988 and includes pi’s first 100 digits — 3.14 times, while singing “Happy Birthday” to honor Albert Einstein and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. The physicist and the point guard were each born March 14.
In true holiday spirit, free pie slices will also be available. Guests will also be able to attend a number of demonstrations, which highlight why the Exploratorium celebrates pi and how the number is still being used in art and science nowadays.
Once the sun sets, adult visitors with museum memberships can attend “After Dark: Math Curious,” which the Exploratorium describes as an opportunity where guests “can connect with fellow numberphiles in a party atmosphere.”
Guided tours of the Exploratorium’s various math exhibits will be offered at that time, as well as demonstrations of the museum’s Sonobo Cubes exhibit, which allows guests to make their own musical compositions.
To top things off, there will also be a presentation teaching people the mathematically optimal way to slice a pie.
