Happy National Pi Day!

Happy National Pi Day!

Today is National Pi Day! This is a play on March, 14th, written as 3.14, the first three digits of the number pi. As is a tradition with pi day, we also celebrate the consumption of pies! Do you have a favorite pie? Our favorites include pecan, apple, blueberry, peach, boysenberry, blackberry, and the best, a pizza pie!

Stephen Hawking

Today is also the commemoration of Albert Einstein’s birthday. Unfortunately, today will also be remembered as the day Stephen Hawking died. Hawking was a theoretical physicist who theorized about general relativity and black holes. He is a member of the Order of the British Empire. Hawking long suffered from the degenerative neurological disorder, ALS.

ALS

Commonly know as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. This disease uses neurons to attack voluntary muscles. You may remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral in 2014. People would dump a bucket of ice on their head and challenge others to do the same or to donate money to ALS.

Only 10% of ALS cases are known to be genetically inherited. Researchers do not know what causes the other 90% of cases. The symptoms of ALS as described by the Mayo Clinic include, having trouble with walking or daily activities, weak legs, clumsiness, slurred speech, twitching, and difficult holding up your head. Stephen Hawking is known to have had a computer with him in his wheelchair that helped with posture, moving, and speech.

There is no known cure for ALS. There are some treatments available including medicine, breathing therapies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The most important part of treating this disease is knowing that the person diagnosed is having a support group for them.

Final Thoughts

Stephen Hawking will be immortalized in the fields of cosmology, mathematics, physics, and astronomy. He was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne in the Academy Award-winning film, “The Theory of Everything“. Please watch that as both a history of Hawking’s life and a cinematograph masterpiece. You can do this also, by eating a piece of pie for pi day!