I Turned a Block Into the Earth and It Computed π

Two blocks slide toward a wall with no friction and every collision is counted. A small block against an equal block: 3 collisions. Make the big one 100 times heavier (220 lb vs 2.2 lb): 31. 10,000 times heavier (a 22,000 lb garbage truck): 314. The collisions spell the digits of π, and every 100× heavier block adds one more digit. So we keep making the block heavier: a freight train, an aircraft carrier, the Great Pyramids, all of humanity, Mount Everest, Lake Superior, Pluto, a sixth of the Earth, half the Sun, a third of the Milky Way… and finally a tenth of all the matter in the observable universe. Counts up to 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) are simulated collision by collision; the bigger ones use the exact formula N = ceil(π/θ) − 1, which matches every simulated count. Based on G. Galperin, "Playing pool with π" (2003). 0:00 Before the end… 0:16 Two blocks, one wall 0:54 220 lb: 31 collisions 1:16 22,000 lb: 314 collisions 1:36 A freight train 2:01 An aircraft carrier 2:26 The Great Pyramids 2:51 Why π? 3:57 Does any mass work? 4:13 All of humanity 4:38 Mount Everest 5:03 Lake Superior 5:28 Pluto 5:53 A sixth of the Earth 6:18 Half the Sun 6:43 A third of the Milky Way 7:08 A tenth of the universe 7:44 All the answers #pi #math #physics