Scientists Discover A New Shape Using Rubber Bands
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 - 21:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Cambridge, Mass. – April 23, 2014 – While setting out to fabricate new springs to support a cephalopod-inspired imaging project, a group of Harvard researchers stumbled upon a surprising discovery: the hemihelix, a shape rarely seen in nature. This made the researchers wonder: Were the three-dimensional structures they observed randomly occurring, or are there specific factors that control their formation? The scientists answered that question by performing experiments in which they stretched, joined, and then released rubber strips. Complemented by numerical simulations and analysis of the process, the results appear in a paper published in the journal PLOS ONE. read more