# Pi has enemies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 28, 2011, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125 "2011-06-28T11:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/1 "2011-06-28T11:11:55Z")
- The mathematical constant pi is under threat from a group of detractors who will be marking “Tau Day” on Tuesday. Tau Day revellers suggest a constant called tau should take its place: twice as large as pi, or about 6.28 - hence the 28 June celebration.\* [Linky](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13906169). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![xkit0katx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/50afbb/32.png) [@xkit0katx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xkit0katx)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/2 "2011-06-28T12:44:17Z")
Some very good reasons why given [here](http://vihart.com/blog/pi-is-still-wrong/) by the lovely Vi Hart ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/3 "2011-06-28T13:16:44Z")
I could never get home from school with being bullied by piists–pious piists, who think they own the world. I came from a poor tau family, and every day my dad would come home from the bar drunk, saying how some day he was going to show those “goddamn, self-righteous, stuck-up, Cadillac pis just what was what.” And that’s what he did. He stormed into the Bureau of Weights and Measures office one clear morning–I’ll never forget that day–and went on a rampage, recalculating everything by different terms. It was a horrible scene. They still talk about it today. He was a good man. I can’t say I agree completely with what he did, but I’ll always be proud of my dad for sticking up for our people. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/4 "2011-06-28T13:19:59Z")
This entire topic is irrational. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/5 "2011-06-28T13:30:23Z")
At first I was all like pffft, those posers. Pi is awesome and everyone knows it. How dare they besmirch the beautiful boundless pi? But then I read the manifesto. Like Paul of Tarsus inventing the slide rule, the scales fell off my eyes. I knew then and there that Tau is the one true trig constant. > **[No, really, pi is wrong: The Tau Manifesto](https://tauday.com/)** > > For millennia, the circle has been considered the most perfect of shapes, and the circle constant π captured the geometry of the circle in a single number. But π is wrong, and it’s time to set things right. ---
**Author:** ![CCYMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CCYMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCYMan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/6 "2011-06-28T13:40:08Z")
After reading the OP, and knowing The Dope, I thought the rest of the thread would be a serious discussion of math(s) that was way over my head. Imagine my relief when I discovered it’s going to be a good ol’ train wreck instead! Now, let’s see, I should contribute something…um…PI SUCKS! TAU RULES! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/7 "2011-06-28T14:04:59Z")
> [@xkit0katx](#): > > Some very good reasons why given [here](http://vihart.com/blog/pi-is-still-wrong/) by the lovely Vi Hart I think I’ve just been converted. I will forever more worship at the altar of Tau. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/8 "2011-06-28T14:10:33Z")
My reaction to learning the existence of _tau_ in this sense and usage is that 2Pi or Tu-Pi makes more sense. Think Tu-Pi Shakur! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/9 "2011-06-28T14:18:43Z")
When come back, bring… tau? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/10 "2011-06-28T14:22:48Z")
> [@mrklutz](#): > > When come back, bring… tau? No, when come back, bring two-pie. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/11 "2011-06-28T14:30:54Z")
Pi are square? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/12 "2011-06-28T16:13:49Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > This entire topic is irrational. But it’s **so** transcendental! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/13 "2011-06-28T17:03:02Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > This entire topic is irrational. But reading it has been a transcendental experience! ETA: Damn you, **Canadjun**!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/14 "2011-06-28T18:45:01Z")
Mmmmm, pi. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/15 "2011-06-28T18:48:33Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > But reading it has been a transcendental experience! No, no. That was zen, this is tau. ---
**Author:** ![BDoors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BDoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDoors)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/16 "2011-06-28T19:23:57Z")
I think if early mathematicians had gone for the more sensible Tau, and we’d had six fingers on each hand (hence widespread use of the more tractable base 12), we would already be scooting around in flying cars, rather than in the 2150 estimated by latest projections. Just another reason to hate Pi. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/17 "2011-06-28T20:08:36Z")
From the article: > [@Kevin Houston](#): > > _Almost_ anything you can do in maths with pi you can do with tau anyway… (emphasis mine) Almost? Can anyone provide an example of something you can do with pi and can’t do with tau? Other than make pi/pie jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/18 "2011-06-28T20:12:25Z")
Isn’t Tau-pi the capital of Tau-one? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/19 "2011-06-28T20:18:19Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Isn’t Tau-pi the capital of Tau-one? How does Tau-pi differ from cow-pie? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125/20 "2011-06-28T20:24:04Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > No, no. That was zen, this is tau. Ow. :smack: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pi-has-enemies/587125.md?page=2)