An African Grey parrot named Graham has amazed behavioural psychologists by reciting the value of Pi to over 500 places.
The three year old bird belongs to Alan Findlay, a milkman from Hull, who called Spoofflé on Monday afternoon. ‘God knows where ‘e gets all them numbers from,’ he told us. ‘To begin with I thought ‘e were just rambling like, just saying stuff what e’d heard on’t tele. But then our grandson Leonard heard ‘im and Leonard who’s eleven and like does the arithmetic ‘e said it were definitely some Pi, whatever that were.’
Zoologists from the University of Hull have borrowed the bird and are conducting tests under rigorous laboratory conditions. One theory is that he may actually be calculating the value of Pi, rather than simply reciting it.
Dr Louise Wellman told us: ‘He’s certainly a very clever parrot, even for an African Grey. When he arrived last week he complained about the height of his swing and asked for some sherry. After he’d finished it, he recited Pi three times up to 535 places, followed by Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, the whole tedious thing, which we all had to listen to.’
Graham is obviously super intelligent even for an African Grey but Pi to the 523rd position is a bit unnecessary unless you are intending to build your own computer!
The first 2 decimal points are quite enough for most practical people
The whole system was invented by Mr Thagerus one of the great Greek physiologists and part time wheelright.
He had been struggling for years trying to get the ox carts he built to go in a straight line. He eventually came up with the thought that if he could build two wheels the same size there was a chance they would go straighter. Having worked out the formula he was at a loss to know what to call it because if some thing has a catchy name people will remember it. At that moment his harlot came out to the work shop carrying his dinner. It was meaty and gravy with a flaky pastry topping. What is that he said. She replied its a pie. Eureka he cried as he fell in the bath. So the meat pie was invented!
He also for no particular reason called his new formula Pi and used it to measure the material for his wheels. He was thus able to build ox carts that went in a perfect straight line providing the driver and the ox were both sober.
His new found fame was spread throughout the ancient land and he became head chariot builder to Julius Caesar hence the famous quotation TO PI R NOT TO PI that is the question!
How about that a complete comment without mentioning the Norwegian Blue . Oh bugger!