June 28 - Tau Day

                                                                                        Posted on June 28, 2018

Given the popularity of Pi Day on March 14 (the mathematical constant pi being 3.14), it would seem obvious that Tau Day (June 28, because the mathematical constant tau is 6.28) would also catch on.



After all, pi is the irrational number formed when the circumference of a circle is divided by diameter of that circle...

And tau is the irrational number formed when the circumference of a circle is divided by radius of that circle. 

The two mathematical constants are really similar - but we use the radius, not the diameter, in most circle descriptions and definitions. So many argue that tau is better than pi, and we should certainly celebrate it as often or more.

But...but Pi Day has all those circular pies, and everyone likes pie...and...and is there anything even remotely delicious called tau?





Hmm...

Since tau is equal to two time pi, I guess we have to have TWO pies on Tau Day! And that makes Tau Day twice as nice, am I right?


If you need more convincing, check out math YouTuber Vi Hart!

Here are a few more Tau Day memes:

You may be wondering what gives with the black-and-white circle design. This ying-yang symbol is the symbol of Taoism, which is a Chinese religion or philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony, cycles of nature, and balance between opposites. The fact that the black part of the design is a mirror image of the white part helps us to picture the importance of darkness AND light, day as well as night, ugliness alongside beauty.

The fact that the symbol of Tao is based on circles is one thing that makes Tau Day pretty rad! So, ying-yang-symbol pies?

Or some other ying-yang-based treat?

                                                                                      

Also on this date:

Carolina Day 

Painter Peter Paul Rubens's birthday

Anniversary of the proof that tomatoes are not poisonous

Scientist Alexis Carrel's birthday

Constitution Day in Ukraine

Anniversary of the Premiere of Giselle

Anniversary of the death of King Alboin

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• June holidays
• June birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in June

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• July holidays
• July birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in July

July 22, 2012 - Casual Pi Day

Pi is the relationship of a circle's circumference to its diameter. No matter how large or small a circle is, the proportion of the distance around the circle to the distance across its widest part is EXACTLY the same!

That exact number starts off 3.14159265...and goes on for bajillions of non-repeating digits. Because pi starts with 3.14, we celebrate Pi Day on 3/14, or March 14^th.

But today is not that date. Why are we celebrating Casual Pi Day today?

Well, the other name for the day gives us a hint—it's Pi Approximation Day.

It's hard to be exact about pi when the decimal digits go on forever (and don't even repeat). So we have to use approximate numbers when we actually use pi, and a really approximate way of expressing the approximation is the fraction 22/7. And that's why today, the 22^nd day of the 7^th month, is Pi Approximation Day!

Use a calculator to see what 22 divided by 7 is. How many decimal places match pi?

By the way, you can get a picture of pi being all casual and summery on a T-shirt or mug here. 

Approximate, ashmoximate!

When we are doing mental math or solving real-life problems in our heads, we often don't need the exact answer. Instead, we can use just an approximation of the right answer. And we do this by estimating—rounding off and THEN adding or multiplying or whatever we are trying to do...

Practice your estimation skills with these PBS games or these Gamequarium games. 

Also on this date:

Revolution Day in the Gambia 

National Tree Planting Day in the Central African Republic 

Birthday of the king of Swaziland 

Anniversary of three first-flights-around-the-world