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Republicans Introduce Legislation Redefining Pi as Exactly 3

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TonyMuhplaah Brother of Favio from Tony, Wisconsin Since: Oct, 2010
Brother of Favio
#1: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:15:27 PM

Here's a link to an article which we discussed in my Theory of Knowledge class today.

Quote: "Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Ala.) is sponsoring HR 205, The Geometric Simplification Act, declaring the Euclidean mathematical constant of pi to be precisely 3. The bill comes in response to data and rankings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, rating the United States' 15 year-olds 25th in the world in mathematics."

Basically, the US isn't doing well in math, so there's a new bill in place which aims to define Pi as exactly 3 instead of 3.1415926535...

Anyone else think this is incredibly stupid? When a classmate brought this up I thought she took an article from The Onion. Pi's an integral part of math, pun intended, and it seems moronic to try to reduce the number of decimal places to increase testing scores.

What does everyone else think about this?

MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#2: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:17:26 PM

God dammit. YOU ARE NOT MAKING THIS ANY EASIER ON YOURSELVES.

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Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#3: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:18:00 PM

Poe's Law. It has to be a joke. Note that it's in the "Huffpost Comedy" section.

I wouldn't put it past Repubs to do that, but come on.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Signed Always Right Since: Dec, 2009
Always Right
#4: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:18:49 PM

US students suck at math...in response, they try to make their math abilities even worse?!

How is shooting a flamethrower into a forest fire supposed to make it any better?!

"Every opinion that isn't mine is subjected to Your Mileage May Vary."
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#5: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:19:09 PM

[up][up]—phew— that's good.

...

I didn't know the huffington post had a comedy section.

edited 23rd Mar '11 1:19:17 PM by MrAHR

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Usht Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard from an arbitrary view point. Since: Feb, 2011
Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard
#6: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:19:32 PM

Okay, if anyone argues that this is legitimate, you're wrong, this is now just trolling. Anything like this is just trolling.

EDIT: And it's in the comedy section. Ha...

edited 23rd Mar '11 1:20:08 PM by Usht

The thing about making witty signature lines is that it first needs to actually be witty.
del_diablo Den harde nordmann from Somewher in mid Norway Since: Sep, 2009
Den harde nordmann
#7: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:20:49 PM

Well, 5% error margin compared to the "standard" is not so bad is it?

A guy called dvorak is tired. Tired of humanity not wanting to change to improve itself. Quite the sad tale.
TonyMuhplaah Brother of Favio from Tony, Wisconsin Since: Oct, 2010
Brother of Favio
#8: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:32:11 PM

Darn it, this is fake? I thought I had found some really good information that would spark good debate.

Well, so this topic doesn't completely go to waste: Does anyone think that this could be a good or reasonable idea?

Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#9: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:33:57 PM

I wish people would shut the fuck up about that bill. Jesus, find actual examples of government stupidity, not trivia.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
AllanAssiduity Since: Dec, 1969
#10: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:36:26 PM

This is fake? But it seems so in-touch with their modus operandi...

Oh, well. Still amusing.

edited 23rd Mar '11 1:37:04 PM by AllanAssiduity

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#11: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:36:57 PM

Just to be clear, the second half of the article makes it obvious that it's a fake. I mean, "Senator X had a heart attack and died when he read it?" Come on, people, get your skepticism where it belongs! [lol]

On its merits? That's like passing a law that says 1+1=3, or the sky is pink. Pi is 3.1415297 etc. It's a geometric constant. You can't legislate it any more than you can legislate gravity.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
BalloonFleet MASTER-DEBATER from Chicago, IL, USA Since: Jun, 2010
MASTER-DEBATER
#12: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:38:52 PM

I loled too. Fake article people.

WHASSUP....... ....with lolis!
SavageHeathen Pro-Freedom Fanatic from Somewhere Since: Feb, 2011
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
#13: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:38:54 PM

...or morality, but they try anyway tongue wink.

edited 23rd Mar '11 1:41:06 PM by SavageHeathen

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Signed Always Right Since: Dec, 2009
Always Right
#14: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:41:09 PM

Bah so it was fake...

But it looked just like what a republican would do...

"Every opinion that isn't mine is subjected to Your Mileage May Vary."
Usht Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard from an arbitrary view point. Since: Feb, 2011
Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard
#15: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:41:57 PM

[up]Oh, I'm totally sure Colbert was the origin of this bill.

The thing about making witty signature lines is that it first needs to actually be witty.
Ratix from Someplace, Maryland Since: Sep, 2010
#16: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:42:17 PM

I recall reading somewhere that some town in Colorado tried to do this or something. Might have been apocryphal.

Yej See ALL the stars! from <0,1i> Since: Mar, 2010
See ALL the stars!
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#18: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:54:49 PM

To be fair, non-Euclidean geometry is really freaking cool.

Where we're going, we don't need parallel lines.

HungryJoe Gristknife from Under the Tree Since: Dec, 2009
Gristknife
#19: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:00:39 PM

So the Republicans are Bloody Stupid Johnson?

I'd vote for him if he ran on his own.

Probably not Vetinari though, he's a great Patrician but as president his hands would be tied too much.

Charlie Tunoku is a lover and a fighter.
Tenebrais from Britland Since: Jan, 2001
#20: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:32:14 PM

On its merits? That's like passing a law that says 1+1=3, or the sky is pink. Pi is 3.1415297 etc. It's a geometric constant. You can't legislate it any more than you can legislate gravity.

In theory you could redefine the circle constant. You would just need a corresponding constant to multiply by when using it. Let's say you were finding the circumference of a circle from its radius and understood pi to be three - you'd then multiply pi by r and then by a number equal to two-thirds of pi. Obviously this is pretty ridiculous and there is no good reason to define the circle constant as such.

There is, however, a minor movement trying to convince people in general academia to define the circle constant as 2pi (calling it tau) because 2pi appears far more often in mathematics than pi by itself and is tidier overall.

Everything is best in moderation.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#21: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:39:20 PM

At least the tau movement makes sense. It's not trying to redefine the universe. It's just trying to define another constant equal to 2pi.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
HungryJoe Gristknife from Under the Tree Since: Dec, 2009
Gristknife
#22: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:40:30 PM

2 + 2 = 5

Charlie Tunoku is a lover and a fighter.
JethroQWalrustitty OG Troper from Finland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
vijeno from Vienna, Austria Since: Jan, 2001
#24: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:52:11 PM

As a sidenote, a fake like that seems rather extreme to me. Does Roby have a history of stupid ideas like that? Because otherwise this would be an incredibly rude joke. Or is there something else about American affairs that I totally miss and that makes the joke completely obvious to every American?

Or perhaps they miscalculated when waiting for April 1st...

edited 23rd Mar '11 2:53:18 PM by vijeno

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#25: Mar 23rd 2011 at 2:56:05 PM

No, it's based on an actual incident. People (fortunately a state legislator, not a federal one) are really that stupid.

Edit:

In theory you could redefine the circle constant

No, you can't. The circle constant is a constant. You can define the symbol pi as 3, or 7, or "grapefruit", which is then multiplied or added to some other value to get the circle constant. But the circle constant itself isn't changing, and all you're doing is teaching kids a needlessly complex workaround.

edited 23rd Mar '11 3:03:15 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

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