Pizza physics (New York-style) - Colm Kelleher
572,692 Views
4,810 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
People love eating pizza, but every style of pie has a different consistency. If "New York-style" -- thin, flat, and large -- is your texture of choice, then you've probably eaten a slice that was as messy as it was delicious. Colm Kelleher outlines the scientific and mathematical properties that make folding a slice the long way the best alternative ... to wearing a bib.
Humans and mother nature alike use thin-sheet physics to build specific shapes. For example, a plant might sprout a baby leaf, and that leaf might start out flat. But then the plant sends signals telling the cells on the outside of the leaf to grow more quickly than the cells in the middle. This situation leads to the formation of a particular kind of feature on the edge of the leaf. What do you think that structure might be? [Hint: even though they’re not exactly leaves, daffodil “trumpets” are a great example of this phenomenon.]
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Colm Kelleher
- Artist Jason Forrest
- Animator Joel Moser
- Director Joel Trussell
- Narrator Colm Kelleher
