What’s the difference between the logo of a metal band and the patterns of a Zen garden? It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s a real question - one that Dartmouth College researchers recently ...

Our universe appears flat—but this observation still leaves plenty of options for its true shape. In fact, our cosmos could resemble a donut ...

In our mind’s eye, the universe seems to go on forever. But using geometry we can explore a variety of three-dimensional shapes that offer alternatives to “ordinary” infinite space. When you gaze out ...

Mathematicians show “soft cell” shapes are abundant in natural world. Soft cells are described as natural tiles with curved edges—a stark contrast to the mathematical solutions for creating tiling ...

Honeycombs, some bathroom floors and designs by artist M.C. Escher have something in common: they are composed of repeating patterns of the same shape without any overlaps or gaps. This type of ...