About

A group blog composed of scientists, show hosts and producers, Correlations is the official blog of WIRED SCIENCE. Tips, questions or comments? E-mail us at correlations@kcet.org.

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Liz Burr

is the Interactive Project Manager for WIRED SCIENCE Digital.

Damon Gambuto

is a producer on the WIRED SCIENCE television series.

Tamsin Gray

is living in Antarctica to research climate change and the ozone hole.

Chris Hardwick

is a co-host on the WIRED SCIENCE television series.

Clifford Johnson

is a professor of Physics at the University of Southern California.

Sheril Kirshenbaum

is a marine biologist at Duke University.

Tara C. Smith

is an assistant professor of epidemiology in Iowa.

Michael Tobis

is a climatologist at UT Austin working on improving climate models.

Ziya Tong

is a host and field producer for WIRED SCIENCE.

WIRED Science blog

WIRED Science MyBlogLog

02.25.08

Paper Geniuses

by Ziya Tong Department: Physics & Chemistry

Give me an A4 sheet of white paper and you might get a few doodles, a paper airplane, or a snowflake-cum-doily if I'm feeling particularly creative. But for some folks, a simple sheet of paper can evolve into a mind-melting trip into another dimension. Like Dr. Lang, the folding physicist whom we featured recently on the show, Peter Callesen uses only one piece of paper to unfold a whole new reality through his artwork. (Click images to see large version)

Professor Shinji Suzuki from the University of Tokyo is an origami expert who is literally taking papercraft to a whole other level. He's currently working to create a specially-designed origami aircraft (which incidentally will be folded into the shape of a Space Shuttle) and plans to launch it from the International Space Station and have it land back on Earth all on it's own. According to Suzuki, while in orbit the papercraft will start traveling at Mach 20 (or 20x the speed of sound) while in orbit. Gotta wonder what that thing will sound like if it crashes...

And since this is DIY month, if you're interested in creating your own modular kirigami (kirigami is a variant of origami, which allows for paper cuts), then definitely check out George Hart's website. Forget the Rubik's cube, bust out a pentagonal hexecontahedron at that next cocktail party, and you'll either impress or mortify your friends with your new found paper power (read: "excessive spare time").

Lastly, this is an image I couldn't help but post. Designed by Robert Ryan, it's my kirigami dream dress.