π in 2025

Welcome to Pi Day 2025.  Atlas likes to think of it as a day to reflect on cycles, acknowledging the good and bad times implicit in them.  Pie comes to mind.  At the peak of the pie cycle is the first bite.  The wholesome sweetness has hit your tastebuds, yet most of the pie is still intact.  Then there’s the bottom of the cycle, that point when you realize you ate too much, and soon you’ll only have the crusty pie tin that will need to be washed before the next pie can be baked.

Pi is a numerical constant.  It never changes and is always useful for understanding circles.  It is, however, an irrational number.  This quality makes it useful for understanding what drives the business cycles: humans.  These economic actors often succumb to two emotions: fear and greed.  While cycles have many durations, one which is now discussed more frequently is known as a saeculum.  This cycle typically oscillates just once in a person’s lifetime, and many pundits now argue that the globe is in the middle of a transition from one saeculum to the next.  These periods are marked by episodes of disruptions to the global order, ultimately ending when a new equilibrium is achieved.  Currently we can see it in macro themes from various countries as some retreat inward while others attempt to forge new partnerships and alliances.

According to the authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, these periods tend to be marked by generational transitions approximately every eighty years and are often volatile.  Few would argue that geopolitical volatility seems to be rising.  Presuming the globe is in such a transition, it will be worth watching to see if it is as violently volatile as the Strauss and Howe model suggests.

As we celebrate Pi Day 2025, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the cyclical nature of our world and the constant pressure of change.  Today’s global society experiences its own irrational yet cyclical patterns. The current period of transition, as suggested by the saeculum theory, may bring challenges and uncertainties.  However, it also presents opportunities for innovation and the establishment of new paradigms.

In this time of volatility, Atlas approaches these challenges with adaptability and resilience.  We strive to maintain our core values and principles while navigating the complexities of a changing world.  As we enjoy our celebratory pies on this Pi Day, let's remember that even in times of upheaval, there is always potential for positive transformation and the eventual emergence of a new, stable equilibrium.  Saeculums come and go, and at the end of each cycle, mankind has taken another progressive step forward.