The Daily Valet. - 3/14/23, Tuesday
✔️ You Don't Have to Be Good at Math to Appreciate ...
Tuesday, March 14th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Speaking of pies, I think you need to know that the McDonald’s apple pies in Japan are fried like the good ol’ days.
Today’s Big Story
It’s Pi Day
But really, why is this a thing?
Today, 3.14, is Pi Day. Someone may mention it, or perhaps you'll get a free or discounted piece of actual pie. If so, you can thank Larry Shaw. The late physicist is credited with dreaming up the mathematical holiday, held every March 14th in recognition of π (~3.14), also known as pi—the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.The day (also known as International Day of Mathematics) aims to raise awareness about the importance of mathematics and its overall role in shaping our world, as well as to promote the beauty and relevance of mathematics to a wider audience. Apparently, this year's theme is “Mathematics for Everyone.” Around the world, more than 1,700 events have been announced to celebrate the day.Pi is one of the most famous symbols in mathematics and has many important applications in physics, engineering and statistics. While the concept dates back thousands of years, it was only around 1737 when the Greek letter for p, or π, was used to represent this mathematical constant. Most experts believe that π was chosen as an abbreviation of “periphery” or “perimeter” which measures the distance around the outside of the circle, also known as a circle's circumference.Over 250 years later, Shaw organized a large-scale celebration at the San Francisco Exploratorium, declaring the inaugural Pi Day. It was first celebrated by cutting a Pi-shaped pie, and the recitation of the value of pi to as many decimal places as possible.Competitions are now held in mathematics classrooms and online to see who can remember the most digits. In March of 2015, Rajveer Meena, a 21-year-old student at India's VIT University, set the Guinness World record by memorizing a whopping 70,000 digits of pi. That mind-bending feat took him nearly 10 hours to recall. But there are infinite digits. Last year, a Japanese computer scientist used a supercomputer running for 157 days to calculate up to the 100-trillionth digit of pi.
The United States of Pie:
This Pi Day data from Google Trends proves Americans are pretty predictable.
Biden Approves Alaskan Oil Project
High gas prices, Legal Battles and a looming election seem to have persuaded the president
As a candidate, Joe Biden promised voters worried about the planet “No more drilling on federal lands, period.” On Monday, he approved an enormous $8 billion plan to extract around 600 million barrels of oil from a portion of Alaska's North Slope that is one of the last unspoiled wilderness areas in America.The administration is not approving the entire project that ConocoPhillips originally asked for. The company wanted five well pads, instead the go-ahead is being given for three pads. The approval also relinquishes ConocoPhillips' land rights to about 68,000 acres in that area. The Department of Interior's environmental analysis found the large-scale project would create annual emissions that equate to less than 1% of total U.S. annual emissions.Still, it's a major blow to climate groups and Alaska Natives who opposed Willow and argued the project will hurt the president's ambitious climate goals and pose health and environmental risks. The project's sheer size has made it a top target of the environmental movement: At a time when scientists say emissions must start to drop to address climate change, Willow would lock in an estimated 9.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year—equal to driving nearly 2 million gas-powered cars—for potentially 30 years.
Meanwhile:
Climate is changing too quickly for the Sierra Nevada’s ‘zombie forests’.
An agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reestablish diplomatic relations has cast China in a leading role in Middle Eastern politics—a part previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S. and Russia.”
- The AP on China's growing clout
Hate Crimes Up by Double Digits
The FBI Says Hate crimes surged in 2021, fueled by racial and ethnic bias
Hate crimes in the United States surged 11.6% in 2021, with the largest number motivated by bias against Black people, followed by crimes targeting victims for ethnicity, sexuality and religion, the FBI said in a report released on Monday.The supplemental report was an amendment of an earlier report from December that said hate crimes in the U.S. had fallen slightly, but the agency warned the figures were likely off due to a shift to a new reporting system that led some of the country's biggest police departments to not report their numbers. But even this new data is far from complete and the actual numbers are likely to be higher, experts tracking the rise in bias-fueled violence said.The Department of Justice has previously warned that fewer police departments are submitting data, which experts say makes it harder to analyze and address crime trends. Meanwhile, the FBI said it's also elevating civil rights violations and hate crimes enforcement for prioritization among the agency's 56 field offices.
FYI:
Just over 43% of the crimes involved intimidation, while 35.5% were simple assault, the FBI said.
Rolex Is Boosting Production
Demand Is So Insane They’re Building Temporary Watch Factories
Amid a surge in demand that was supercharged by the pandemic and continues to climb even as other buying trends fall by the wayside, Rolex said it will add “three temporary production facilities” which will begin operations in 2025 to help increase output of its coveted timepieces, reports Bloomberg.According to InsideHook, this is an incredible development for two reasons. First, by vowing to increase production (which, apparently is around 1.05 million watches a year), Rolex is betting that the luxury watch boom will continue indefinitely. Second, these new outposts are in addition to a new $1.1 billion factory the company announced at the end of last year. But that production facility, which will be built in the city of Bulle, Switzerland, isn't set to open until 2029.In the meantime, display cases sit awkwardly empty in Rolex boutiques and customers on long waitlists take their frustrations online. The effects of increased production will likely be felt gradually in the market, but Gear Patrol says that there are signs that peak Rolex scarcity has already passed.
Dig Deeper:
What is it about these watches that capture our attention and retain such value. A few years ago, I dug into the “Rolex mystique.”
In Other News
It allows the tech giants to bypass other state laws.
Have you heard about ...
Worth a Listen
A fresh take on the sleep podcast
Joe Pera Talks With You might not be getting any more seasons, but those with serious Pera withdrawal can thank their lucky stars (and count their sheep) for Drifting Off With Joe Pera. So far, there are only three available episodes, but the evening comedy podcast imports Pera's signature style of quiet observational comedy into the dreamy world of bedtime stories. With low-key jokes, immersive soundscapes, and relaxing phone conversations, his narration (complements by composer Ryan Dann's sound design) will certainly help you unwind and perhaps even fall asleep with a smile on your face.
Listen:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A Corkcircle Canteen
Besides the elegant walnut-print design, this canteen has a three-layer stainless steel construction and retains hot and cold drinks for six hours.
Get It:
Corkcircle canteen, $69 / $40 by Sophnet
Morning Motto
Take matters into your own hands.
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