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Mathematicians Crochet Chaos

Ravn0s writes "The BBC is reporting that two mathematicians have successfully created a 3D model of the Lorenz manifold using over 25,511 crochet stitches. The academics are offering a bottle of champagne to anyone who cares to follow the pattern published in the journal Mathematics Intelligencer. For those readers who are unaware, the Lorenz manifold is a mathematical equation used describe chaotic systems."

32 comments

  1. That's nothing... by Psmylie · · Score: 4, Funny

    My wife can knit entropy. ^^

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    psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

    1. Re:That's nothing... by A55M0NKEY · · Score: 1

      Huh Huh Huh -- Just looking for an excuse to post. I plan to go out at 1000 even.

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      Eat at Joe's.

    2. Re:That's nothing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just surfed to your home page. It's an exact copy of mine. Why are you copying my web site? It's not even that good.

    3. Re:That's nothing... by Morosoph · · Score: 1

      I'd knit-pick, but I can't be darned to.

    4. Re:That's nothing... by Wandering+Wombat · · Score: 1
      My wife recently learned to knit time. With only twenty meters of yarn, she can travel forwards several hours.

      And also, my wife realllly wants to make one of these now... crap.

      And finally, yes, a /.'er has a wife. Nothing more chaotic than that!

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      I like to place meaningful quotes in my sig, so people will know that I know what meaningful quotes are.
    5. Re:That's nothing... by randomblast · · Score: 1

      I don't see why he copied it either, it's really insecure. Having an unrestricted PHP file upload mechanism is _bad_.

      --
      ...these aren't my real teeth.
    6. Re:That's nothing... by SEWilco · · Score: 1

      Good or not, now that you've posted it you can expect both his home page and your home page to get /.ed.

    7. Re:That's nothing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, you're the first person in the history of the whole fuckin' Internet to get married, you fucking dipshit. Save it. No one gives a fuck.

  2. No... by brunson · · Score: 2, Informative

    A lorentz manifold IS a chaotic system. A lorentz METRIC is used to describe chaotic systems.

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    09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
    Jesus loves you, I think you suck
    1. Re:No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The chaotic system guy is Lorenz. Lorentz manifolds and metrics are something else and have to do with general relativity.

  3. I didn't know... by St.+Arbirix · · Score: 4, Funny

    the Lorenz manifold involved string theory.

    *badump-chink*

    I'd ask you to explain it to me, but it's probably too long a yarn for my time.

    *badump-dump-chink*

    Unless 25,511 stitches in time save 229,599, in which case you can go ahead and spin your story.

    *bradadadada-dump-dump-chiiing*

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    Direct away from face when opening.
    1. Re:I didn't know... by St.+Arbirix · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd continue on with the jokes, but this thread is already too long.

      * St. Arbirix ducks

      --
      Direct away from face when opening.
    2. Re:I didn't know... by centauri · · Score: 4, Funny

      You're knot funny.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
    3. Re:I didn't know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i'm in-klined to agree.

      - a.c.

  4. Let me be the first to say ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    wtf

    Next week, knitting Nash's Embedding Theorem.

  5. No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    A Lorentz manifold is a manifold with a Lorentz metric, just as a Riemannian manifold is a manifold with a Riemannian metric. Please do not abuse the word "IS." Thank you.

  6. Next Knitting Project by thermopile · · Score: 3, Funny
    Yeah, that's great, but could somebody please knit me a solution to the Poincare Conjecture? It would really help me out. I promise to split the US $1 million for the prize money.

    Alternatively, a Klein bottle would be neat, but it might take a while. Some of the stiches probably get kinda small ....

    --

    "Diplomacy is something you do until you find a rock." --Richard Pound

    1. Re:Next Knitting Project by BlurredWeasel · · Score: 5, Interesting
  7. oh the time by Striker770S · · Score: 1

    offering a bottle of champagne to anyone who cares to follow the pattern published in the journal Mathematics Intelligencer. in that amount of time wasted, you could work and get drunk with money in a much faster time.

    --
    I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. - Catcher in the Rye
  8. I'd like that in an earring by davidwr · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, not for me, but any math professor or geek who wears earrings would love this hanging from the earlobes.

    In a smaller size, of course.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:I'd like that in an earring by RevAaron · · Score: 1, Funny

      Smaller? Don't be a pussy. It takes a real man to wear an earing that's 1m by 1.5m. GRR!!

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    2. Re:I'd like that in an earring by Richie1984 · · Score: 1

      An earring? Don't be so boring. Real men wear 1m by 1.5m tounge piercings of mathematical models! I do get some funny looks when I go to restaurants, though.

      --
      I'm not stressed. I'm just terribly, terribly alert.
  9. Useful women. by jericho4.0 · · Score: 4, Funny
    Prof Krauskopf asked her: "Why don't you crochet something useful?"

    And 85 hours of woman work later, Dr. Krauskopf has a huge xmas ornament.

    --
    "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
    1. Re:Useful women. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      s/wom.n/mathematician/ :)

    2. Re:Useful women. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny.

      A man thinks a 3-d replica of mathematics is useful. I didn't know math could keep you warm.

    3. Re:Useful women. by adeydas · · Score: 1

      what good would it do to them... haven't they heard of computer modelling?!

  10. Where do I find Mathematics Intelligencer? by emplynx · · Score: 1

    I immediately asked my sister to crochet this for me. Now that would be something to show off to my physics professors. Where do I get a copy of mathematics intelligencer?

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    -Tim
    1. Re:Where do I find Mathematics Intelligencer? by FleaPlus · · Score: 1

      Here's a preprint of their publication in Applied Nonlinear Mathematics. Yes, it includes crochet instructions. :)

  11. Klein bottle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I want a gross bottle

  12. Actual quote from Channel 4 News in the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...interviewing the people responsible for it:

    "so where does the butterfly go, then?"

    and people say standards of public broadcasting are falling...

  13. attempt at making a Lorenz manifold by Kiasoft · · Score: 1

    The shaping at the end seems to be the hardest part...

    another lorenz manifold for ya

    --
    This is me... and that is all I can be.