crocheted hyperbolic flora and fauna

September 15, 2006 6:28 PM

The Institute for Figuring presents the Crocheted Hyperbolic Coral Reef Project and Hyperbolic Crocheted Cacti and Kelp (more at this flickr gallery). If you secretly spend your evenings crocheting mathematical models, help build the coral reef or send a photo of your other creations to The People's Hyperbolic Gallery. (via Wonderland)
posted by madamjujujive (11 comments total)

A prior post on math crafts.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:29 PM on September 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

This is awesome, and freaky. COOL!! Nice post.
posted by Eekacat at 6:47 PM on September 15, 2006

See also: Hyperbolic space is an unimaginable concept, unless you're a Latvian mathematician who's handy with needle and yarn.
posted by MetaMonkey at 6:56 PM on September 15, 2006

beautiful!
posted by longsleeves at 7:24 PM on September 15, 2006

Thanks for the link, MetaMonkey - I loved this bit about math fashion:

... she agrees to model the hyperbolic skirt that she made for a recent talk sponsored by the Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles, after which the film director Werner Herzog took her to dinner and then kissed her good night. The skirt is made of 10 skeins of cotton yarn, each of which is 689 feet long. "The ruffles divide into other ruffles," Henderson says, as Taimina spins around the living room. "That's how you can tell it's hyperbolic." When I suggest a clothing line for mathematicians, Taimina smiles.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:28 PM on September 15, 2006

I'd like to see a knit version of a coral reef Tridacna clam.

Thank you again madamjujujive.
posted by X4ster at 8:00 PM on September 15, 2006

Brains!
posted by hortense at 10:23 PM on September 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

hortense - that is intense! I am loving the entire museum of scientifically accurate brain art that it came from - cool link, thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 10:43 PM on September 15, 2006

wow. What a cool, beautiful discovery! Thanks! (I wonder if any of this explains the meditative state I feel when really 'into' my crocheting. Hyperbolic?)
posted by Surfurrus at 10:46 PM on September 15, 2006

Not knitted:Colorful, flexible seven-fold model of Arthur Young's Reflexive Universe.
posted by hortense at 11:10 PM on September 15, 2006

Cool, as are the additional links. (What with this and the tee-pee wedding dresses, it's been a week of Strangely Talented Craftspeople.)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 1:20 AM on September 16, 2006