Flexagon (opens in new tab)

(en.wikipedia.org)

166 pointsjerbear43282y ago39 comments

39 comments

33 comments · 13 top-level

sram13372y ago· 6 in thread

Vi Hart had a great vid on Hexaflexagons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVIegSt81k

tda2y ago

I immediately thought of those videos when I read the title, but somehow she is missing from the wiki page, even though there is a section on popular culture.

bitcurious2y ago

Cool thing about wiki is that you can edit it! That way the next person to read it gets the benefit of your knowledge.

1 more reply

jerbear4328OP2y ago

There is a link at the very bottom of the External Links section, but yeah, that is strange. Well, Wikipedia is the free encyclopedia anyone can edit.

lbeckman3142y ago

Thanks Filipecgarcia for updating!

> m including Vi Hart reference [0]

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flexagon&diff=pre...

1 more reply

agumonkey2y ago

same

lupire2y ago

Watch the whole playlist series, including the mexihexaflexagons

pard682y ago· 5 in thread

Are these different from the paper things kids made in middle school?

JKCalhoun2y ago

I think so, as the other reply points out.

And I want to encourage everyone to try their hand at making one of these. They're deceptively more interesting than they would appear to be at first glance.

And plus-one on the recommendations for Vi Hart's videos on Hexaflexagons also mentioned here.

batch122y ago

You might be thinking of these: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_fortune_teller

pelagicAustral2y ago

Oh man! I remembered some of the most vulgar iterations of this artifact back in primary...

semolino2y ago

Here's a good example: https://youtube.com/watch?v=oqQwWRalcA0

It's different than a "cootie catcher."

pard682y ago

Oh that is very different but very cool, thanks.

timpark2y ago· 4 in thread

I made a tetratetraflexagon for my wedding program. I ended up making a script to use ImageMagick to convert four images into two images suitable for printing on both sides of an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. The scripts, example images, and instructions are here:

https://www.timpark.org/making-a-tetratetraflexagon/

xyzzy_plugh2y ago

The recursive card you linked (link broken) is very impressive as well:

https://kellianderson.com/blog/2011/10/11/talks-and-a-recurs...

The concept is one thing but the execution takes it to another level.

timpark2y ago

I did notice the link was broken, but didn't want to wait until I had time to fix it before commenting. I've fixed it and a couple of other ones. Thanks.

yboris2y ago

Direct video link: https://vimeo.com/30392799

zimpenfish2y ago

Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to borrow them but I'll credit you as my source (linking to the webpage.)

0823498723498722y ago· 3 in thread

see also the Mexiflexagon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTwrVAbV56o

Jun82y ago

Vihart’s videos are excellent. I’ve watched her introductory video on hexaflexagons maybe 20 times: https://youtu.be/VIVIegSt81k?si=t_qrkiqUTTfy2l4d

tromp2y ago

Her videos, the last 2 external links on Wikipedia, are excellent introductions indeed. She even recreates the history of how they originated

> The discovery of the first flexagon, a trihexaflexagon, is credited to the British mathematician Arthur H. Stone, while a student at Princeton University in the United States in 1939. His new American paper would not fit in his English binder so he cut off the ends of the paper and began folding them into different shapes.

1 more reply

ubj2y ago

Being from El Paso, I'd argue for calling this a Tex-Mexiflexagon :)

Looks delicious! I'm looking forward to trying this sometime.

andrewla2y ago· 1 in thread

I have never been less enlightened by a wikipedia page. Some youtube videos cleared up at least the mechanics of the basic versions, but what it means to have the various higher order flexagons is completely mysterious to me even having read this page.

jerbear4328OP2y ago

If you want the more realistic introduction that introduced me to hexaflexagons, Vihart's YouTube videos are excellent: https://youtu.be/VIVIegSt81k

aredox2y ago· 1 in thread

See also "kaleiodocycles" (the book to build some with Escher tilings is one of the fondest memories of my childhood)

fluxflexer2y ago

I can not recommend this enough, a must have if you like Escher's Art and are in weird geometric stuff.

https://www.amazon.de/M-C-Escher-Kaleidozyklen-Taschen-speci...

carrozo2y ago

Hexagons are the bestagons

https://youtu.be/thOifuHs6eY?si=S93Rm1e1EDWmOSUd

josephcsible2y ago

The glue-free cyclic hexatetraflexagon is my favorite. IMO it's actually really easy to make; I'm not sure why the article calls it complicated.

temp08262y ago

I didn't know this is what they were called. I have a desk toy called a shashibo that I think is based on this. Fun and pretty sturdy little thing.

dadoum2y ago

Before clicking I thought it was about flexhedra, but I got confused. But since there is seemingly no Wikipedia page for it here is a French video (subtitled, hopefully with a high enough quality) describing it briefly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg3_gLO-reE

latortuga2y ago

My 7th grade science teacher (hi Mrs. Ericson!) had us make tetratetraflexagons in 1998 and I thought, literally until today, that she had made up that word. She also has us make science-themed dodecahedrons so I guess I should have been clued into the fact that she secretly loved geometry / topology.

zabzonk2y ago

i remember fiddling with these in the late 1960s after reading about them in one of martin gardner's books. quite a lot of fun for basically no cost.

sghiassy2y ago

Hexagon is the bestagon

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

39 comments

33 comments · 13 top-level

sram13372y ago· 6 in thread

Vi Hart had a great vid on Hexaflexagons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVIegSt81k

tda2y ago

I immediately thought of those videos when I read the title, but somehow she is missing from the wiki page, even though there is a section on popular culture.

bitcurious2y ago

Cool thing about wiki is that you can edit it! That way the next person to read it gets the benefit of your knowledge.

1 more reply

jerbear4328OP2y ago

There is a link at the very bottom of the External Links section, but yeah, that is strange. Well, Wikipedia is the free encyclopedia anyone can edit.

lbeckman3142y ago

Thanks Filipecgarcia for updating!

> m including Vi Hart reference [0]

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flexagon&diff=pre...

1 more reply

agumonkey2y ago

same

lupire2y ago

Watch the whole playlist series, including the mexihexaflexagons

pard682y ago· 5 in thread

Are these different from the paper things kids made in middle school?

JKCalhoun2y ago

I think so, as the other reply points out.

And I want to encourage everyone to try their hand at making one of these. They're deceptively more interesting than they would appear to be at first glance.

And plus-one on the recommendations for Vi Hart's videos on Hexaflexagons also mentioned here.

batch122y ago

You might be thinking of these: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_fortune_teller

pelagicAustral2y ago

Oh man! I remembered some of the most vulgar iterations of this artifact back in primary...

semolino2y ago

Here's a good example: https://youtube.com/watch?v=oqQwWRalcA0

It's different than a "cootie catcher."

pard682y ago

Oh that is very different but very cool, thanks.

timpark2y ago· 4 in thread

https://www.timpark.org/making-a-tetratetraflexagon/

xyzzy_plugh2y ago

The recursive card you linked (link broken) is very impressive as well:

https://kellianderson.com/blog/2011/10/11/talks-and-a-recurs...

The concept is one thing but the execution takes it to another level.

timpark2y ago

I did notice the link was broken, but didn't want to wait until I had time to fix it before commenting. I've fixed it and a couple of other ones. Thanks.

yboris2y ago

Direct video link: https://vimeo.com/30392799

zimpenfish2y ago

Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to borrow them but I'll credit you as my source (linking to the webpage.)

0823498723498722y ago· 3 in thread

see also the Mexiflexagon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTwrVAbV56o

Jun82y ago

Vihart’s videos are excellent. I’ve watched her introductory video on hexaflexagons maybe 20 times: https://youtu.be/VIVIegSt81k?si=t_qrkiqUTTfy2l4d

tromp2y ago

Her videos, the last 2 external links on Wikipedia, are excellent introductions indeed. She even recreates the history of how they originated

1 more reply

ubj2y ago

Being from El Paso, I'd argue for calling this a Tex-Mexiflexagon :)

Looks delicious! I'm looking forward to trying this sometime.

andrewla2y ago· 1 in thread

jerbear4328OP2y ago

If you want the more realistic introduction that introduced me to hexaflexagons, Vihart's YouTube videos are excellent: https://youtu.be/VIVIegSt81k

aredox2y ago· 1 in thread

See also "kaleiodocycles" (the book to build some with Escher tilings is one of the fondest memories of my childhood)

fluxflexer2y ago

I can not recommend this enough, a must have if you like Escher's Art and are in weird geometric stuff.

https://www.amazon.de/M-C-Escher-Kaleidozyklen-Taschen-speci...

carrozo2y ago

Hexagons are the bestagons

https://youtu.be/thOifuHs6eY?si=S93Rm1e1EDWmOSUd

josephcsible2y ago

The glue-free cyclic hexatetraflexagon is my favorite. IMO it's actually really easy to make; I'm not sure why the article calls it complicated.

temp08262y ago

I didn't know this is what they were called. I have a desk toy called a shashibo that I think is based on this. Fun and pretty sturdy little thing.

dadoum2y ago

latortuga2y ago

zabzonk2y ago

i remember fiddling with these in the late 1960s after reading about them in one of martin gardner's books. quite a lot of fun for basically no cost.

sghiassy2y ago

Hexagon is the bestagon

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse