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10 math holidays we need in addition to Pi Day
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Pi Day is awesome. There's pie everywhere, and people pay attention to math. But there's some other math-inspired holidays we could have too. - photo by Herb Scribner
March 14 is the day when your favorite dessert gets the praise it deserves.

Only its not because everyone loves pie. Rather, its to celebrate the number represented by pi (often seen as the symbol or the number 3.14). The number is used for calculations involving round shapes, such as measuring circumference (2r) or area (r).

As Quartz reported, pi often meant to represent the number 3.14 (1592653589.) was once thought to be 3.12 or even 3.16. It wasnt until 250 B.C. that the Greek mathmatician Archimedes found that the number was closer to 3.14. Similarly, Greek-Roman scientists found just 300 years later that the number was 3.1416. Since that time, scientists have only elongated the number. It has no official end point, but most researchers say 39 digits is enough to show its actual value.

Thereafter, more digits of pi are not of practical use in calculations; rather, todays pursuit of more digits of pi is about testing supercomputers and numerical analysis algorithms, according to Quartz.

So why do we have this holiday? In all honesty, its because it falls on March 14 (3/14) and gives people a chance to eat piles of pies. Seriously, you can find deals across the country for various types of pies, including the ever-delicious pizza pies.

But there are other math equations that deserve a holiday too because of the impact they have on the world and our high school textbooks. Weve collected 10 different math equations most of which you probably havent seen since middle school or high school and outlined what a holiday for those equations would look like.

Line Day

The equation y=mx+b helps students find the equation of a straight line. In this equation, m represents the slope and b is the y-intercept, which is the point on the graph where the line crosses the y-axis.

For Line Day, dance halls would offer free line dancing lessons or events, and people would celebrate by wearing Wheres Waldo? T-shirts.

Quadratic Day

This equation is special because it can be represented as either Ax2 + Bx + C = 0 or the way it appears in the image below:

This equation is used for a number of reasons, like factoring, completing a square or even graphing.

For this holiday, people would probably celebrate by walking on all fours, or by hanging out on the college campus quad all day. Restaurants would sell many 4 for $4 deals, and stores would offer buy four get four free deals.

Pythagoras Day

Its one of the most memorable math equations out there: a2 + b2 = c2. And it certainly deserves a holiday since its a fundamental equation that can help determine the geometry of a right triangle.

For Pythagoras Day, there would be triangles everywhere. Everything would be sold in different triangle-shaped boxes, and restaurants would offer meals shaped like triangles, too. Pizza would probably be on sale given its already triangular shape.

Imaginary Day

So theres an equation out there that helps you solve the square of an imaginary number. This equation is often represented as i2 = -1. Imaginary numbers are often used by engineers to solve problems while working without giving those numbers a unique identity. Theyre more often used in very complex math equations, according to Business Insider.

This equation obviously lends itself to Imaginary Day. Held on Saturday, people would celebrate by pretending to be whoever they wanted, like a springtime Halloween. Restaurants would charge randomly low prices to draw consumers in, and eyeglass retailers would offer a two-for-one deal on lenses.

Relativity Day

This has to be one of the most famous math equations out there. E=MC2. Its meant to show energy = mass times the speed of light squared, and is often used to calculate and prove the theory of relativity.

For Relativity Day, gravity boots would be on discount. Families would eat for free get it, relativity? and everyone would be encouraged to search out their family history, even though familial relatives have nothing to do with gravitational relativity.

Slope Day

How do you find slope? Simple M = y2-y1/x2-x1. This equation helps you determine the line of the slope, and will show you what the incline of a particular line would be.

Slope Day would probably be held in the winter, so that children could slide down hills and slopes on sleds. Ski resorts would have discounted prices (or some sort of deal thats still expensive but has the tagline Have a slopein good time!).

GOP front-runner Donald Trump would use this day to talk about the tremendous slope America is falling down. He would also say he has the best slopes, and no one fixes slopes better than he does.

Sine, Cosine and Tan Day

We see these three words a lot in trigonometry, so they surely deserve their own holiday. Theyre often used to find the unknown sides of angles.

For a holiday, people would pledge their allegiance to a particular function, either Sine, Cosine or Tan. Youd see people dressed in shirts with either a S, C or T on it. People would declare their allegiance on social media with either #TeamTan, #TeamCosine or #TeamSine. And of course thered be some viral video of a man named Tan Daniel, in which a kid in white vans whos extremely tanned would be called Tan Daniel.

Sign stores would sell discounted signs, mortgages loaners and banks would offer less interest for those with cosigners, and tanning salons would have free tans for people who brought a guest with them.

And, as we all know, Starbucks would sell a drink called the Tan, which would be a coffee-free, milk-based, sugar-filled frap of caramel.

$0.99 Day

Theres an equation that says the number 0.9999999999999 = 1. Its actually mathmetician Steve Strogatzs favorite equation, according to Live Science.

"I love how simple it is everyone understands what it says yet how provocative it is," Strogatz said. "Many people don't believe it could be true. It's also beautifully balanced. The left side represents the beginning of mathematics; the right side represents the mysteries of infinity."

And lets be real: $0.99 Day almost writes itself. Just imagine a day where everything everywhere only costs $0.99. What a time to be alive. Though its doubtful all stores would do it, you could definitely imagine dollar stores knocking a cent off their price just for the heck of it.

Double Pi Day and/or Cylinder Day

Want to measure the area of a cylinder? Use the equation 2rh+2r2. Its a little complicated, but itll help you.

As you can see, theres a number 2 in front of each of the symbols. So this could be a holiday dedicated to double the pie. Basically, you get twice as much pie and twice as many deals. Or, it could be Cylinder Day, where restaurants will put their food in the shape of a cylinder. Double the pie sounds better.

Arc Day

The equation 2R helps you find the length of an arc.

For Arc Day, the St. Louis Gateway Arch would have discounted events and activities, because why not.

Any store or company with the initials ARC would also offer special deals to consumers.

And lets not forget that any filmed version of the Noahs Ark story would be discounted. Similarly, the hashtag #WhatMyArkWouldLookLike would trend on Twitter worldwide.

And Trump would say no one builds arcs/arks/arches better than he does.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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