The shape of the universe as ruffled crochet work

Is this what the universe looks like? Some say the universe is a hyperbolic space (find out more at the link). But nobody could figure out a practical way to model it. Until:

In 1997 Cornell University mathematician Daina Taimina finally worked out how to make a physical model of hyperbolic space that allows us to feel, and to tactilely explore, the properties of this unique geometry. The method she used was crochet.

Dr Taimina’s inspiration was based on a suggestion that had been put forward in the 1970’s by the geometer William Thurston (also now at Cornell). Noting that one of the qualities of hyperbolic space is that as you move away from a point the space around it expands exponentially, Thurston designed a paper model made up of thin cresent-shaped annuli taped together.

But Thurston’s model is difficult to make, hard to handle, and inherently fragile. Taimina intuited that the essence of this construction could be implemented with knitting or crochet simply by increasing the number of stitches in each row. As you increase, the surface naturally begins to ruffle and crenellate. Taimina, who grew up in Latvia with a childhood steeped in feminine handicrafts, immediately set about making a model. At first she tried knitting - and you can indeed knit hyperbolic surfaces - but the large number of stitches on the needles quickly becomes unmanageable and Taimina realized that crochet offered the better approach.

Find out more about this and other visual manifestations of the intersection of art and mathematics at The Institute for Figuring, which currently exists only in cyberspace and an LA post office box. It's the creation of Margaret Wertheim, author of "The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace," and her twin sister Christine.

Go. Explore. Also check out the exhibit of computer assisted origami and its connection to protein-folding. Learn to crochet your own hyperbolic space.