Math Craft Features
News: Math Craft Inspiration of the Week: Marble Binary Calculators & Other Mechanical Computers
Since today (11/11/11) is the last 6 digit binary date this century, I thought we should look at some kinetic binary calculators.
How To: Make Fractal Cupcakes
Last post, we looked at fractal cookies based off of the recipe by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. In this post, we'll follow their recipe for fractal cupcakes based off of the Koch Snowflake, which we used previously to decorate pumpkins for Halloween.
Math Craft Monday: Community Submissions (Plus Polyhedral Stellation)
It's another Monday, which means it's once again time to highlight some of the recent community submissions posted to the Math Craft corkboard. Additionally, I thought we'd take a look at the process of stellation and make some stellated polyhedra out of paper.Rachel Mansur of Giveaway Tuesdays posted a video from animator Cyriak Harris, which zooms into fractal hands, where each fingertip also has a hand and fingers. A few more details can be found here, as well as some other really cool pic...
News: Platonic Solid Made from Rider Back Playing Cards
Below, my construction of a Platonic Solid made from playing cards. To make your own, templates can be found at George Hart's site; there are also full step-by-step instructions here.
News: 30 Square Sliding Modular Origami
Cory's post with instructions and templates Here's my first attempt at the 30 squares model. I needed to be a little bit more careful in the measuring and cutting as not everything matches up - but it is still a really pleasing shape.
News: The Unreasonable Beauty of Mathematics
Back in August, Scientific American posted a slideshow fitting for Math Craft. Click through to check out a slideshow depicting beauty found in mathematical structures—including a beautiful knot theory chart befitting of this week's project.
News: More Kirigami Snowflakes
I spent a little bit more time making 6 sided Kirigami Snowflakes using the method of this post. I'm really happy with how all of these turned out. I'd love to see other people post up some snowflakes. They're easy and a lot of fun. And I could use some more inspiration!
News: Orderly Tangle Earrings
I decided I would make those earrings I alluded to in Monday's Post on orderly tangles. I had to shrink the templates down so that the triangles are about 2 cm on a side. I used 110 lb cardstock and and painted them using metallic leafing paint in gold, silver, copper, and brass. I would put up a tutorial, except I think that this project would be too frustrating for most people. All I can suggest is that you make the orderly tangle of 4 triangles multiple times and just keep shrinking the si...
How To: Make a 'Flex Mex'—A Mathematically Delicious Hexaflexagon Burrito
Here's a great excuse to play with your food—and learn some math while you're at it. We've all seen a hexaflexagon folded out of paper, but how about a burrito? Vi Hart, a "mathmusician" over at the Khan Academy, came up with the Flex Mex, a burrito folded into a hexaflexagon with all the toppings inside. The spreadable ingredients (guacamole, sour cream and salsa) go inside the folds, then it's topped with beans and cheese.
News: The Platonic Solids Get Trippy
If you haven't participated in this week's Math Craft project on the platonic solids, maybe this will inspire you to do so.
News: Albrecht Dürer, the Father of Polyhedral Nets
Did you know that you can "write" in polyhedra? I just stumbled across a $24.99 font called Divina Proportione. Created by Brazilian graphic designer Paulo W, the typeface is constructed with beautiful geometric renderings by the famous Renaissance printmaker Albrecht Dürer.
News: A 3-in-1 Model
These drawings were made with Google SketchUp. There is a dodecahedral model, icosahedral model, and a third I don't know the name of, made of rhombic faces obtained by connecting vertices of the other two. The final image is all three models together. I'll use a ShopBot CNC router to cut out the pieces this week.
News: Watch Out Nemo! Fish-Shaped Gears
I built this the other day from those weird gear plans from Clayton Boyer.
News: Polyhedron Animation
Below, polyhedron animation test #1. The model was folded using Cory Poole's modular origami tutorial.
News: My Origami Christmas Tree
Based off these instructions posted up by Justin Meyers of Scrabble World. I made it out of Glossy Photo Paper so it is really shiny.
News: Math Craft Inspiration of the Week: Christmas Chaos
If you take two flat mirrors and place them front to back and look at them, you can see an infinite number of reflections. While this is a self-replicating pattern and can be somewhat mesmerizing, it isn't anywhere as interesting as looking at the chaotic scattering of light that can occur between 3 or 4 spheres.
News: DIY Fractal Gingerbreadmen
After I made a blog and sent it to my friends about how I made Gingerbreadman Map fractal holiday cookies, one of them linked me back to the Sierpinski Carpet cookies, which I loved! So, I thought I'd share my how-to with everyone as well!
News: Curves With Staight Lines
Much more complex than I had to make it- that's why I posted it. I think it looks cool...
News: Cyriak Harris' Fractal Freakiness
I'm sure many of you have already seen this, but being Halloween and mathematically inspired, I thought I'd dig up an old favorite for those who may have missed it. Original post with quote from Cyriak here. More fractal hands: Tim Hawkinson's "Fruit" Series
News: Mathematical Knitting
Looking into mathematical quilting, I came across a community of mathematical knitters. Check out Dr. Sarah-Marie Belcastro's (research associate at Smith college and lecturer at U Mass Amherst) mathematical knitting resource page.
News: Origami Valentine's Day Present
I made a Origami Valentine's day present for my Little Sister and Neice using heart and rose origami patterns I found on-line and put them in a backet with heart shaped lollipop I bought from Target.
News: The Venn Piagram
Someone made this awesome pie, or is it two, in the shape of the standard two circle Venn Diagram.
News: New Colour Scheme Pentakis Dodecahedron
So I really like the new colour scheme. This sonobe pentakis dodecahedron uses twelve colours; one for each face.
News: My Sonobe Jasmine Dodecahedron
Here's my Sonobe Jasmine Dodecahedron built from Imatfaal's instructions.
News: Origami Panda
So, this is a type of origami that is called golden venture origami. This type of origami is made of hundreds to thousands of little intersecting triangles. This took about 2-3 three hours, the picture is pretty bad because it was taken at school with a cell camera. But I hope this inspires you to make some of your own! This type of origami is in essence very easy to make but takes a lot of time and effort to make. However if you get really good at it, you can do it without even looking at ab...
How To: Anybody Know How to Make This?
Via gurmeet.net
News: Bird's Eye Maple Veneered Papercraft Dodecahedron
I bought a sheet of ultra thin 1 ply Birdseye Maple veneer the other day and decided that It would look beautiful as a dodecahedron. I used some glue to attach it to cardstock and then cut it out as the net of a dodecahedron. I used a X-acto knife to lightly etch the fold lines on both the cardstock and the veneer so that it would fold crisply. I glued it all together using superglue. This post shows the net and how to fold it.
News: Fractal Pecan Pie
Following the pattern of fractal goodies, I found this great article on making a giant fractal pecan pie. Seems like you'll need some dedicated pecan pie enthusiasts (shouldn't be hard to find) to help you out!
News: Icosahedron + Cube!
It makes a nice little snow man hehe
News: Torolf Sauermann
A beautiful object by artist Torolf Sauermann; see more of his math art here.
News: Geodesic Gingerbread House
Came across this gingerbread house while browsing the web. Looks like you bake the gingerbread in hexagons and pentagons, and then "glue" them together with icing. Very cute!
News: Beyond Infinity Immersive Installation
Combine a bunch of fractal objects with mirrors and and lights and the ability to walk around inside and you get something like the image below.
A Kit-of-No-Parts: "Crafting" Electronics at MIT
I recently came across this amazing MIT media lab site, Kit-of-No-Parts. Though not directly related to the content Cory has been posting, it is an interesting "craft" approach to technology/science. The site was created as documentation of a student's thesis work in the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab:
Penny Polyhedra: Cube
Not the best picture, but will do. More will be coming!
MO MATH: Museum of Mathematics
The Museum of Mathematics, curated by George Hart, will be opening in 2012. Here are a few activities you can check out in the meantime.