Playing with Laura Taalman’s 3d printable “Scutoid”

Saw a great tweet from Laura Taalman over the weekend”

Have you read the @Nature article introducing the new mathematical shape called the SCUTOID? This cutting-edge science is now 3D printable: https://t.co/OrVyJZLt65 pic.twitter.com/RASQMFHSLz

— Laura Taalman (@mathgrrl) July 29, 2018

That shape was just “discovered” and is discussed on this New Scientist article:

A new shape called the scutoid has been discovered in our cells https://t.co/ius1QoHRM7 pic.twitter.com/isBGkQ9aSQ

— New Scientist (@newscientist) July 27, 2018

oops – that tweet gives me a good picture, but the article itself is behind a paywall.  Here are two free articles:

Gizmodo’s article on the Scutoid

The article in Nature introducing the shape

Last night I had the boys play with the shape (and I did not tell them what it was).

Here’s what my older son thought about it – sorry that it is a little hard to see the shape in the beginning. I add more light around 1:00 in:

Here’s what my younger son thought:

I thought it was interesting to hear that both boys thought that this shape would not appear in nature. I’ll have them