FIRST: The Pi Conspiracy

FIRST General Forum
#1

I was rather bored in study hall the other day and for some reason started doodling a FIRST logo. As I drew it I had an epiphany: There something hidden in the logo! Consider this image:

http://www.wit.edu/clp/Photos/Programs/FIRST%20Robotics/First%20Robotics%20Logo.jpg

And look at the number of sides of each shape.
Triangle: 3
Circle: 1 continuous side
Square: 4

314…? Doesn’t that look a bit like… 3.14?! The FIRST logo is a symbolic representation of Pi! If only the ® symbol came after the triangle somehow. It would be a great decimal.

Now, I don’t know if this was done on purpose, but I’d love to think it was. What do you guys think? Great coincidence, or conspiracy of mathematical proportions?

#2

Very nice discovery. I don’t think they could have done it in propose, the red triangle in the left is probably positioned that way for aesthetic reasons. Remember that the old FIRST logo had a triangle in the left too.

However, whether a circle has a side or even a continuous one is highly ambiguous.

EDIT: I can argue that a circle can have two sides, one in the outside and one in the inside.

#3

It isn’t a conspiracy at all. It is actually Archimedes at work. It’s mathematical relationships.

The origins of the logo is explained in this animation: Primitives

It was produced in 2010 by team 116 and shown at the Championship in Atlanta.

#4

I am familiar of the FIRST logo, but I think the question imposed here is what does the FIRST logo have to do with the mathematical constant Pi? And Archimedes came up with the constant Pi.

#5

Archimedes may have ‘discovered’ the natural number we call pi.

And pi is integral to the mathematics of the objects described in the animation.

And conincidentally, the OP has ‘discovered’ the three objects has three, one, and four sides.

neato.

#6

It’s a conspiracy, and we’re leading it… :smiley:

#7

Does this mean the winners of worlds chairman’s get pies of their choice sent to their shop?
Super incentive!

Edit: Jane Younge, I’ve been reading your posts for too long now :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

No such thing.

#9

Sorry to be a buzz kill, but technically a circle has infinitely many sides.

P.S. Down with Pi! All hail Tau!
(As it is 3 o’clock in the morning I’m not going to give a lengthy explanation but basically Tau = 2Pi. Google it to find out all the ways this make so much more sense than using Pi, G’night everyone)

#10

[pedantic math nerd ::rtm::]

Technically, pi is a real number, not a natural number…

[/pedantic math nerd]

#11

1: I wasn’t entirely sure of the technical number of sides of a circle, so I figured since the angle changes constantly but without variation (unlike polygons that have corners) then it only has one side. But to be honest I’m a conspiracy theorist. I bend these things so they fit :slight_smile:
2: That was a fascinating video about the origins of the logo- very informative. I vaguely recall learning about that relationship but never realized that it applied to the logo.
3: “Down with pi, all hail Tau”- Totally with you! Have you watched any videos by Vihart on YouTube? She has an excellent explanation of why we should switch.

And, I know it’s not actually a conspiracy, just an interesting discovery. My conspiracy-self is a facetious sensationalist.

#12

Thanks for the correction. I couldn’t remember since the development of math came after the development of agriculture.

According to my team, I’m so old I invented agriculture. So obviously the invention of math was after my time…

#13

But Tau doesn’t sound like a delicious desert! :frowning:

P.S. Ignore my rational as I am allergic to pie anyways :stuck_out_tongue:

EDIT: P.P.S. I apologize for all my posts not being the slightest bit constructive and all revolving around food.

#14

Showing great promise, Katie. :slight_smile:

What I would like to add is, doodle on, sir, doodle on. Awesome.

Jane

#15

Both pi and tau are irrational, so no problem.

#16

Also since Tau = 2 Pi, on 6/28 (Tau Day), you get double the Pie! :smiley:

#17

.
The Pascack Pi-O-Neers approve of this thread.

So, you were there but didn’t have any interest in this new-fangled math stuff?

No, no, food is good, and constructive is over-rated.

#18

All this talk of number conspiracies reminds me of 413 from Homestuck: it’ll always be there but it’s fun to note, and maddening to find.

Someone’s going to derive a game hint from this, I just know it.

#19

Also if you look at the circle with everything interlocking it makes four mis-shapen pie slices, aren’t conspiracies fun?

#20

Picasso must be involved. Only he would cut a pie like that.