You know something's pretty special if it has a day dedicated to its celebration. And one pretty special number is Pi, the mathematical constant with the endless string of numbers that gave a lot of us nightmares in class. In case you didn't know, yesterday was Pi Day, the day we celebrate with Pies (a math pun, if you can bear it). Did you know the great mathematician Archimedes supposedly died because of his research on Pi? Why? You'd better read the full article to find out.

Now you wouldn't need a scientific degree to identify ancient brain surgery on any human remains folks. This is pretty simple, provided that your unearthed specimen comes with a head - err, skull. Archaeologists currently digging up a site in Greece said they've spotted what appears to be a woman's remains with a perforation on her skull, indicative of brain surgery - and an unsuccessful one at that. Just a little more clarifications at the full story.

The Amphitheatre in Epidaurus on the Peloponnese in Greece lets sounds from the actors to be heard all over the area, even when the structure can seat up to 14,000 people.

Created around the 4th century BC by Polykleitos the Younger, the renowned Ampitheatre is made of 55 semi-circular rows that go up from the area where the actors perform. What makes this place remarkable is that even without a microphone, the actors' voices could be heard clearly.

It's always been thought that the place has been mathematically made to amplify voices. But Georgia Institute of Technology researcher Nico Declercq says nay to this theory and shows his findings about the acoustics of the intriguing building. He says that it's not the shape of the structure itself, but the material it's made of, which deserves credit for the Amphitheatre's amazing acoustics. Limestone has an ability to filter out low frequencies of voices, minimizing background noise and enhancing sound quality in the theatre.

Nico says that the rows of limestone seats also reflect high-frequency sounds back towards the audience, enhancing the sound effect. Now who would have thought of that before? Maybe next time our present-day architects may take the cue of their ancient Greek counterparts. And then, rock music could be better heard on limestone seats.

Researchers from Greece have come up with another way to help virtually impaired people take advantage of current technology. With the use of new software and force fields, blind men can now use maps.

The concept of offering maps to the blind is not an entirely new concept. In fact, it's been done with paper and cardboard even before the Greek research team used imaging methods. What's distinct about the Greek research is that it can easily produce a virtual map after scanning a locale's architectural model.

Using standard video cameras, the model is shot in a full 360-degree range. The visuals are then mapped out using points in a plane by the software and laud out. Once processed, the user can use either a CyberGrasp Wand or a Phantom Glove. Both offer feedback in terms of pressure, simulating a force field that can be "touched" by the visually impaired.

"Each point on the grid has an associated force value," says Konstantinos Moustakas, head researcher for the virtual map project. He then explained that by applying accurate pressure fields for the points, it will be just as easy for the map's blind user to figure his way around a city as a sighted person would.

Moustakas then revealed that the map has applications even for the sighted. In cases where people cannot browse through maps with their eyes, they can feel their way around. This can be applied to police or military combat situations. Development of the technology is still in its middle stages and may take some time before a finished product can be seen.

You win some, you lose some. And when it comes to Mother Nature's wrath, you definitely lose a lot. We can't help it if super volcanoes erupt, nor can we try to stop earthquakes from happening. It's nature's course in action.

Take for example Thera. Some 3,600 years ago, Thera (near Greece) exploded in what was termed as the Bronze Era's "single, most famous Aegean event before the fall of Troy." And in the whole of human history, this volcanic eruption was coined as the second most powerful.

In examining the ocean floor of the Mediterranean, especially around the island crescent of Santorini, researchers are currently led to believe that Thera blasted out 60 cubic kilometers of magma out of its crater - that's half again as large as it was originally thought to have exploded.

The ash in itself would have plunged the whole area (around 300,000 square kilometers) in total darkness, and the tsunamis that followed would have devastated seaports and coastal areas lining the Mediterranean.

With this research, some scientists are now suggesting that the eruption could be connected with the decline of the Minoan people, an ancient, sea-faring civilization on Crete. Some even tried to link the eruption to the legendary disappearance of Atlantis.