Nerdvana: Census Bureau Statisticians Gush over U.S. Population Reaching Multiple of Pi

For several seconds this afternoon – shortly after 2:29 p.m. to be exact – the estimated U.S. population stood at 314,159,265. And if you don’t get the significance of that, then there’s a good chance ink from a pen is currently soiling your shirt, rather than settling harmlessly into a plastic pocket protector.

Yes, geeks rejoice: the U.S. population today, rounded to the nearest human, reached the value of pi times 100 million, and that was exciting enough for the U.S. Census Bureau to put out not one, but two releases announcing the milestone.

“This is a once in many generations event, so go out and celebrate this American pi,” said Census Bureau Chief Demographer Howard Hogan.

Not since the early months of 1860 – when the population reached pi times 10 million, has the Census Bureau had the opportunity make that pun. And if current population growth rates remain steady, they won’t be carting it back out again for 267 years, when the population will reach pi times 1 billion. Of course, by the year 2279 the Census Bureau may have been abolished and puns may have been outlawed, but at least we’ll all still be humming along to the Don McLean classic on our embedded iBrain audio players.