Margaret Wertheim – Crocheted Coral Reefs

I've admitted in the past that at heart I'm a total math nerd... which explains why my heart was doing flips when one of my favorite feeds, TED Talks, published this lecture by science writer Margaret Wertheim. But, it doesn't take a mathematical mind to appreciate her colorful, woolly, crocheted coral reefs, which have now become a viral collaboration. In fact, as she says, the project has roots in fields as diverse as "mathematics, marine biology, feminine handicraft and environmental activism." See for yourself:



The visuals are so beautiful and complex, you may want to watch it hi-res.

The video is fifteen minutes long, and some of it gets kinda technical, but I encourage you to find the time to watch it, and to keep with it. She does an excellent job of making the complex stuff completely relatable, and also raises some interesting points towards the end about our social and educational systems. ("Think tanks"? Try "play tanks"!)

Here are some more pics of their creations, which have been displayed in galleries in London, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and elsewhere.

Margaret and her twin sister, Christine, founded the Institute For Figuring, "an organization dedicated to the poetic and aesthetic dimensions of science, mathematics and the technical arts." Isn't that a great name! I wonder if we could get them to do a workshop somewhere around here ... the UCC perhaps??