Let's talk about Christmas trees for a moment, shall we? If you haven't already put up a pine tree in your living room, this latest bit of news comes just in time.
For a challenge sponsored by Debenham's, Sheffield University students Nicole Wrightham and Alex Craig came up with the mathematical formula for the best Christmas tree - kickstarting the field of (forgive us) geometree.
Bark-esian... no. Erm, field theory -- okay, we lost it. We're moving on.
The Mathematically Perfect Christmas Tree
In theory, the formula allows the consumer to be a little more informed when the time comes to buy the decorations. It looks like this:
The important part we want to highlight is the part about the lights. To decide how many lights you need, simply multiply the height of the tree (in centimetres) by pi to see how many centimeters of lights you will need.
There's a calculator for the mathematically-disinclined. For us, it's quite a thorny subject. (We can't stop! We've tried!)
Some Algebra-Free Christmas Lighting Tips
Recently we talked about lighting your parties this winter, and the advice holds up for the rest of the season. But if you'd like to inject a little colour, we stock coloured rope lights to dangle around the place.
And here's a resource-hunting guide from Apartment Therapy, including some DIY tips and some hints for those of us celebrating in tiny flats.
While we desperately try to come up with some more puns, why
not share your ideas for Christmas tree lighting in the comments? Remember to show your work.