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The beautiful math of coral - Margaret Wertheim

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Science writer Margaret Wertheim re-creates the creatures of the coral reefs using a technique invented by a mathematician -- simultaneously celebrating the amazements of the reef and deep-diving into the hyperbolic underpinnings of coral creation.

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Additional Resources for you to Explore
There are many examples of collaborative, crowdsourced art initiatives (see, for example,The Johnny Cash Project at http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/) and many examples of collaborative citizen science programs (see the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s programs at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citsci/). Expore the Internet for other examples. As you’re exploring, can you find others that merge art, science, and math in the manner that Wertheim has? Create your own “satellite reef” with the directions Wertheim has posted at http://crochetcoralreef.org/makeyourown/index.php. The Institute for Figuring http://www.theiff.org/ Annenberg Learner: Mathematics Illuminated: Geometry Beyond Euclid http://www.learner.org/courses/mathilluminated/units/8/National Geographic: Photo Gallery: Corals http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/ocean-corals/
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TED Talk Lessons are created by TED-Ed using phenomenal TED Talks. Do you have an idea for a lesson? Create it now using any video from YouTube »

Meet The Creators

  • Speaker Margaret Wertheim

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