This is going to test HN's tolerance for myths and pseudo-science, but then it's a Sunday. "It has a self-contained master-key for extending the evaluation to any number of decimal places." is not going to convince many people here.
There are many alternate views on the origin of this verse itself. The one I find most believable, is that this is a fairly recent fabrication [1]. There is nothing to suggest that we had this level of accuracy that far back. For instance, how was this arrived at? Methods? None. But much later, _in the 5th century AD_, Aryabatta used a simpler expansion for which we actually have some evidence.
Just like most other religious texts, the Vedas don't stand up to modern science and rigor. You'll see plenty of revivalist material on the web; many here in India hold it in high regard. In my view, its lasting significance has been the role in dividing India into castes. From the priests to the serfs, a system that continues to hurt even today.
There are many alternate views on the origin of this verse itself. The one I find most believable, is that this is a fairly recent fabrication [1]. There is nothing to suggest that we had this level of accuracy that far back. For instance, how was this arrived at? Methods? None. But much later, _in the 5th century AD_, Aryabatta used a simpler expansion for which we actually have some evidence.
Just like most other religious texts, the Vedas don't stand up to modern science and rigor. You'll see plenty of revivalist material on the web; many here in India hold it in high regard. In my view, its lasting significance has been the role in dividing India into castes. From the priests to the serfs, a system that continues to hurt even today.
[1]: http://vedicmathmyth.quora.com/The-misconceptions-of-the-poe...