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Old September 13th, 2005, 03:15 AM
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Default Re: Semi-OT: A question on Power Ratios in Sci-fi

Thanks for backing up my calcs, Kamog. Here's a real geeky approximation an old physics prof told me 20+ years ago and somehow I still remember it:

a pretty good approximation of the number of seconds in a year = pi x 10E7

I use this for "quick & dirty" approximations. Frequently the pi cancels out with something else and people wonder how I can do that kind of math in my head.

I don't know why I remember that one and still use it till today even though it makes no real sense that pi has anything to do with units of time, but it just works out that way and somehow my brain finds it easy to remember those kinds of silly numbers.
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