Guns Don't Kill People--They Calculate Pi

[Lorizael]

https://medium.com/p/c1eb776193ef

Imagine the following scenario. The end of civilisation has occurred, zombies have taken over the Earth and all access to modern technology has ended. The few survivors suddenly need to know the value of π and, being a mathematician, they turn to you. What do you do?

If ever you find yourself in this situation, you’ll be glad of the work of Vincent Dumoulin and Félix Thouin at the Université de Montréal in Canada. These guys have worked out how to calculate an approximate value of π using the distribution of pellets from a Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun, which they assume would be widely available in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

(Not sure why we're only getting capital pi. Probably because this method is only approximate.)

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Grab and eat their brains, as I will most certainly be a zombie during the apocalypse.

[AAAAAAAAH!]

I'm pretty sure 3.14 is a good enough approximation in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

[Sava]

civilization

Fixed.

[Lorizael]

I'm pretty sure 3.14 is a good enough approximation in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Indeed. We have to postulate some distant future in which mathematicians understand the concept of pi and the Monte Carlo method but not the value of pi. I suspect this would occur after some Christian-based apocalypse where all references to pi have been replaced with 3.

[The Mad Monk]

Pah. Even Mirriam needs Pi.