Public Lecture - The Science of Origami

Abstract:
What kinds of shapes can you make by folding a sheet of paper? How strong can you make them, or how flexible? Although we've been folding paper for centuries, we're still discovering fascinating new answers to these questions. Origami-inspired structures can improve the energy-efficiency of massive buildings, deliver drugs deep within the body, power spacecraft and even stop bullets. As we learn to manipulate sheets as thin as a single atom, humanity approaches the ultimate origami challenge--folding structures as rich and varied as those nature achieves through folding proteins. We will discuss how all of these structures are achieved by mastering the geometrical structure hidden within every sheet of paper. 
 
About the Speaker:
D. Zeb Rocklin joined the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology in 2008 and his PhD from the University of Illinois in 2013. He conducts theoretical research into the mechanics of a wide variety of soft and flexible systems. He has received fellowships from the Delta Institute of Physics, the Institute for Complex and Adaptive Matter, the DoD and Illinois.

Event Details

Date/Time:

  • Date: 
    Monday, February 25, 2019 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Location:
Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons 152