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Domain: zometool.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to zometool.com.
Comments · 8
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Zome Tool
I believe these provide immense fun.
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Zome
I'm a big fan of Zome construction kits. http://www.zometool.com/
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Re:Same Penrose?
Here's what I'm basing the toilet paper thing on -
Page 261/262 of, The Art of Looking Sideways, Alen Fletcher
Page 262 shows an illustrations of the Penrose Tile.
The last sentences of page 261 is, (quote)
"Sir Roger came across one of these enhanced toilet rolls. He was not amused. He started legal proceedings. A pattern with a patent."
I base the story of Richert on having him as a professor.
The only mention of the Penrose tile called the Richert-Penrose tile is in this:
http://www.zometool.com/pdfs/richert-penrose_tilin gs.pdf
Zome Took makes toys to create Geodesic Dome like things, and non periodic tilings. Richert is on the board of directors.
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Get some ZOMEs!Right Here => http://www.zometool.com/
Disclamer: We homeschool our kids. We've got hundreds of dollars worth of zome stuff.
-- ac at home
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Zome Tools
I've always loved this kind of thing, from Lincoln Logs to the old erector sets with the metal girders that you could slice your fingers open with.
Another one in that market that most people don't know about is ZomeTools. I've used these things to model molecules, build small pieces of furniture, explain 4d geometry, and decorate my party spaces with cool sculpture.
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Re:Legos = Kids, Meccanos = Older Kids
After Legos, you progress to Tinker Toys, then to Meccanos (called "Erector Sets" in the States).
Hell no, Legos, Tinker Toys, then Zome.
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Why make kids play with the same toys that we had?One problem that is common with both Lego and Meccano is that it forces the child into building things that are almost all orthogonal. Time has marched on and a great many smart kids have since gotten bigger (grown up isn't the right word) and have invented better toys since then.
Here are a few alternatives:
Zometools are like a bit like tinker-toys but allow a greater number angles at the hubs and are much better thought out. They also have a large collection of online lesson plans for educators that are free for the downloading.
Roger's connections and Mega Magz take the concept further by using ball barings as hubs and magnetic rods allowing for an even more flexible joint and rod system.
How about having children explore this kind of this cool construction technique, like the artist Ken Snelson.
Check out Chuck Hoberman's Expandagon construction toy where the parts expand and contract causing the construction to transform from one shape, to
another. -
Why make kids play with the same toys that we had?One problem that is common with both Lego and Meccano is that it forces the child into building things that are almost all orthogonal. Time has marched on and a great many smart kids have since gotten bigger (grown up isn't the right word) and have invented better toys since then.
Here are a few alternatives:
Zometools are like a bit like tinker-toys but allow a greater number angles at the hubs and are much better thought out. They also have a large collection of online lesson plans for educators that are free for the downloading.
Roger's connections and Mega Magz take the concept further by using ball barings as hubs and magnetic rods allowing for an even more flexible joint and rod system.
How about having children explore this kind of this cool construction technique, like the artist Ken Snelson.
Check out Chuck Hoberman's Expandagon construction toy where the parts expand and contract causing the construction to transform from one shape, to
another.