Name: The beautiful math of coral
Uploaded: 2009-04-20T01:00:00Z
Duration: 15 min 14 s
Description: Margaret Wertheim leads a project to re-create the creatures of the coral reefs using a crochet technique invented by a mathematician -- celebrating the amazements of the reef, and deep-diving into the hyperbolic geometry underlying coral creation.

Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math of coral

The beautiful math of coral

Margaret Wertheim leads a project to re-create the creatures of the coral reefs using a crochet technique invented by a mathematician -- celebrating the amazements of the reef, and deep-diving into the hyperbolic geometry underlying coral creation.

A global community has recreated vibrant coral reefs using crochet, blending art, science, and mathematics in a project now spanning three continents. Each frilly, woolen coral models a form of hyperbolic geometry that mathematicians struggled to represent for centuries, yet sea slugs and lettuces have embodied it all along. This collaborative art not only celebrates the beauty of marine life but also spotlights the power of hands-on learning to illuminate abstract ideas. By turning mathematics into something tangible and playful, the project makes complex concepts accessible to people everywhere.