Can the digits of Pi be used to predict the future?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of using the digits of Pi, specifically when converted to base 26, to predict the future. Participants explore the idea of encoding letters from the digits of Pi and whether this can yield meaningful information or predictions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant introduces the idea of a "Pi code" similar to the Bible code, suggesting that the infinite nature of Pi allows for all possible combinations of letters to appear, potentially enabling predictions about the future.
  • Another participant humorously claims to have found a sequence of letters from Pi, attributing it to a "typing monkey," which adds a light-hearted tone to the discussion.
  • A participant references Jorge Luis Borges' "Library of Babel" and Daniel Dennett's work, indicating a broader philosophical context to the idea of randomness and information in sequences.
  • There is a question about the accuracy of the base-26 conversion of Pi's digits, with one participant suggesting that the expected starting sequence should be different based on their interpretation of the digits.
  • Another participant acknowledges a misunderstanding regarding the presentation of the digits in base 26, indicating a moment of realization about the conversion process.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the significance of the letters derived from the digits, viewing them as merely letters regardless of the base conversion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of curiosity and skepticism regarding the idea of predicting the future with the digits of Pi. While some find the concept intriguing, others question its validity and significance, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing views.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the method of converting Pi's digits to base 26 and the implications of this conversion for meaningful interpretation. Participants also express varying levels of belief in the potential for the digits to yield predictive information.

yourdadonapogostick
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almost everyone has heard of the Bible code. what about the pi code?
[PLAIN said:
http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_4_1_00.html]Following[/PLAIN] the lead of prominent logologician Mike Keith of Salem, Ore., O'Leary converted the higher decimal digits of pi from base 10 to base 26. He then identified the 26 different base-26 digits with letters of the English alphabet: 0 = A, 1 = B, 2 = C,. . ., 25 = Z.

Here are the first 100 digits of pi expressed in this way:

D.DRSQLOLYRTRODNLHNQTGKUDQGTUIRXNEQBCKBSZIVQQVGDMELMUE
XROIQIYALVUZVEBMIJPQQXLKPLRNCFWJPBYMGGOHJMMQISMS. . . .

In effect, "pi in base 26 emulates the mythical army of typing monkeys spewing out random letters," Keith says. "This implies that any text, no matter how long, should eventually appear in the base-26 digits of pi...

O'Leary discovered that the higher digits of pi are a rich repository of vital information. Interpreted in the right way, cryptic sentences, phrases, and words can be strung together and used to predict the future."

predicting the future with the Pi code!

infinite digits means all possible combinations, right?

if you get bored one day, you can predict the future.
 
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great find
How did you find that link?
 
wow I found one..well I should say my typeing monkey did
the first letter D
24th letter U
49th letter M
35th letter B
 
ok I half to say I'm sorry, my young employee is NOT, i repeat NOT a monkey.
 
You may be interested in Jorge Luis Borges' Library of Babel. Daniel Dennet takes the idea elsewhere in Darwin's Dangerous Idea. I always found it interesting.
 
He then identified the 26 different base-26 digits with letters of the English alphabet: 0 = A, 1 = B, 2 = C,. . ., 25 = Z.

Here are the first 100 digits of pi expressed in this way:

D.DRSQLOLYRTRODNLHNQTGKUDQGTUIRXNEQBCKBSZIVQQVGDME LMUE
XROIQIYALVUZVEBMIJPQQXLKPLRNCFWJPBYMGGOHJMMQISMS. . . .

Shouldn't it start out...

D.BEBFBJ...

If D=3, B=1, E=4, F=5, etc? Or did I approach it incorrectly? It obviously isn't 3.3...
 
Have you converted the decimal expansion to one in base 26 ?
 
Gokul43201 said:
Have you converted the decimal expansion to one in base 26 ?

Ah, that's where they got it.. I somehow skipped the "Here are the first 100 digits of pi expressed in this way" when I first read through it *smacks head*


gotcha.

edit: Base 26 or no, still just letters to me.