Table of contents
Weaving sounds to make braids
November 17, 2012
Investigating a patterned song to make a “purer” version of it with math.
Creating curves with straight lines
August 31, 2012
Performing Vi Hart’s doodling game in Mathematica with new shapes.
Playing with a flowing torus
March 7, 2012
Figuring out how a topologically-complex toy works by rebuilding it (metaphorically).
A recycled rhombicosidodecahedron
February 6, 2012
Building a large, complicated polyhedron out of plastic juice bottle connectors.
Explaining an astonishing slinky
October 17, 2011
Looking at the math and physics of a slinky falling through the air, with equations and gifs.
A prisoner riddle
September 18, 2011
Solving an “enlightening” logic puzzle by building a formula.
Printing the impossible…in 3D
August 1, 2011
Building a model of a complex möbius torus shape, and then making it a real object with the help of Shapeways.
An experiment in additive manufacturing
May 21, 2011
Designing real jewelry with reaction-diffusion patterns for style and Shapeways for printing.
Visualizing the magnetic fields of “buckyballs”
March 7, 2011
Taking a popular magnet toy and looking at the forces involved for a few structures you can build.
The mice problem: more on curves of pursuit
February 13, 2011
Figuring out how an interesting geometric drawing works, and finding the same principle in a sculpture.
Mathematically defined Easter eggs
January 14, 2011
Using math to create a series of decorative eggs in a variety of colors and fancy patterns.
Polyhedron lanterns
January 2, 2011
Noticing regular polyhedra out in the wild, including stellated rhombicuboctahedrons.
New musical notation using neighborhoods
December 20, 2010
Playing with an online music-making toy that includes the ability to build complex rhythms.
Boxes don’t have to be boring
December 15, 2010
Constructing an icosahedron-shaped wooden box and then painting reaction-diffusion patterns on it.
Sudo make me a pseudosphere
December 11, 2010
Explaining the tractrix and the pseudosphere (and the relationship between them) with various models.
The art of paper folding
December 7, 2010
Admiring an artist’s curvy paper icosahedron sculpture and figuring out how to build a copy.
About us: Daniel is a PhD student in Physics at UC San Diego. He has a BS in Physics from the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Britta has a BA in Literature from the same college. It’s a good place for finding friends who also like to do complicated projects for fun. Other CCS friends with blogs include Rebro and Sarah.
