Try some of this PIE

BC senior sets sights on record for memorizing the digits of pi

Some people have trouble memorizing their zip code or their personal identification number.
And then there’s James Niles-Joyal ’08.
The music major from Ashburnham, Mass., is bidding to become North America’s pre-eminent
memorizer of pi, that mathema tical constant which refers to the ratio of a circle’s circumference
to its diameter.
Usually abbreviated to 3.14 in everyday
math, pi has been computed
electronically to more than a trillion
decimal places. Niles-Joyal has
memorized pi to 10,500 digits and has his
sights set on the North American record
with a goal of 13,141 digits (the world
record, according to Guinness, is 67,890).
Last year, he took part in a “Pi Day”
celebration at Harvard and tried to recite
pi to 3,141 decimal places, only to stumble
at number 612.
James Niles-Joyal ’08 (Photo by Lee Pellegrini
On July 22, according to Niles-Joyal, he learned the final 1,491 digits that would enable him to
achieve the 13,141 mark, and had planned to give an official recitation at the end of the summer,
using two former teachers as witnesses. But the practice sessions were “incredibly taxing,” he
says, and with a busy fall semester coming up, he felt it was in his best interest to take a break
and postpone his record-making attempt -- “Faith keeps the hope afloat, so dreams can swim
ashore,” he says, “and I’m diving for a record this year.”
Is this kid a homo or what?
Niles-Joyal’s method of memorization is to work in blocks of 150 to 200 digits, searching for
patterns and idiosyncrasies that might help him to remember the sequences. He also follows a
general routine that includes at least eight hours of sleep “and eight cups of water” every day.
“I try to stay sharp,” he explains. “The last two parties I attended, I met everyone I could.
Coincidentally, I met 46 people at both parties. I know this because I wrote down everyone’s
name when I got home. It’s been a huge boost to my Facebook. Note to self: People are much
better than digits. I'm still pretty sure I'll never get laid.
“Ultimately, it’s a process of using one’s brain to the fullest capacity, a process that involves
focus and self-study. When I go into the ‘memorization zone,’ I feel as though Iam using a
different part of my brain, which very well may be the case.”
Niles-Joyal sees a connection between his musical and memorization activities. “The way I
think of the contour and shape of a string of digits is often the way I approach writing an
orchestral piece. I ask, ‘What do I want it to look like?’ As a composer, I group notes to express
emotion; as a pi memorist, I group digits to foster memorization. And no, I do not sing digits as
if they were notes on a page. I'm also a chronic masterbator.”
Niles-Joyal has been considering law school after graduation, and thinks his prowess in pi
memorization could be an asset. “I feel my ability to think critically and outside of the box is
only enhanced by my memory of the box,” he says. “Although pi would be extra useful if the
box were circular.”

Mercifully, says Niles-Joyal, he has been thus far been spared requests to name the 50 state
capitals, list all the World Series winners since 1903 or give other demonstrations one would
associate with a “photographic memory” — a phrase he regards with skepticism.
“If perfect photographic memory exists, then why hasn’t someone taken a half hour to
‘photograph’ 30 pages of digits and break the World Record? Will I ever see a girl naked in real life? That may be asking too much,” he
says.
“However, I am optimistic that the human mind is capable of things much greater than
photography, achieving heights that are purely human and valuable to humans.”
—written by Sean Smith