 "Photo: Courtesy of langoragami.com")
 "Photo: Courtesy of langoragami.com")
 "Photo: Courtesy of langoragami.com")
 "Photo: Courtesy of langoragami.com")
Intricate folds of paper, flaps folded over and over again to create an object that is simple yet beautiful. Origami, the centuries-old art of using paper to create objects, may save your life in the future. World-renowned origamist Robert Lang plans to demonstrate origami’s impact on science, math, and technology at the 55th Kieval Lecture at the Van Duzer Theatre on Tuesday evening.
The problems that face origami seem simple: only one piece of paper can be used and no cutting. After centuries of practice, it seems that all that could be created with a single sheet has already been done. Lang proves that it is quite the opposite with his array of detailed figures. A brown bear with toes, a pill bug with plates on its back, and two praying mantises climbing on top of each other are just three of the hundreds of detailed figures. “That can’t even be one piece [of paper],” said freshman Mason Thomas in disbelief while looking at the figures.
Origami may seem like a stretch for one of the Kieval Lectures, which usually has speakers who touch on topics in the field of mathematics. Lang is here to show how this art has now gone far beyond its simple beginnings. Connections are now being made between origami, math, science and technology. These connections have revolutionized the origami world, allowing for new creations to be made.
“Math ties all of it together,” said Lang.
To take these paper figures and apply them to something as large as a football field may feel like a stretch, but the connection is closer than it seems. One example that Lang shows is the Eyeglass Telescope, a space telescope that is 100 meters long. The problem scientists faced is how to get the gigantic lens into the sky without breaking it. Scientist turned to origami to figure out how to fold the lens without compromising its performance.
These connections between origami and technology stretch into everyday life. Airbags in cars fold in a way that mimics origami. Little rings have been made that are small enough to go into a vein but then expand and fold out to support a failing artery. All types of math are applicable in this field too, from basic algebra to calculus.
Lang is sure to surprise many with the art of origami and the math that goes behind it. “All of this looks so intricate,” said freshman John Adams. When leaving the lecture, Lang wants people to think to themselves, “I had no idea that this was that interesting.”
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