back
17 comments
If you want to work it out yourself first here is the trick. Set calculator to degree mode, enter a bunch of fives (5555 or 55555555), take the reciprocal, take the sin, note similarity to pi. Very fun article.
While the trick is quite nice, I personally just press the "PI" button...
Calc's are funny.

Try 12345679 * 9x (where x < 10)

So what will happen? (tried on all my calc's and they gave the same result as http://www.google.com/search?q=12345679+*+92, which I think it's correct).
Try 123456789 * 9 * 2.
So what result should I be expecting? I'm getting a correct result on my Sharp EL-506W
12345679 * 9 * x where x is a single digit gives you nine copies of x.
> Try 123456789 * 9 * 2.

It's 12345679, not 123456789

Here is how to get e using a calculator:

sinh(1) + cosh(1)

pi / 180 = 0.01745 (a value commonly used for degree<->radian conversion). 1 / 180 = 0.0055555. That's the connection between the "magic" constants used in this trick.

It brings an older, simpler, not nearly as interesting calculator "trick" to mind: 11111111 * 11111111.

It brings an older, simpler, not nearly as interesting calculator "trick" to mind: 11111111 * 11111111.

  gnuplot> pr 11111111 * 11111111
  -2047269199
:-). For the intended result, people can put a '.' after one of the numbers to make it a double, or use a better calculator like bc or Python.
Much too highbrow for me.

39103 * 136

Then turn your calculator upside down and read the result.

Sure, but can anyone explain 5318008?
Walking upright shifted our focus away from butts?
for those of you who didn't get it

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=5318008

Wow, I can't believe this made it to the top of Hacker News. Tranformation to Reddit complete!
Oh no.