On Sunday I had two visitors simultaneously (not planned) My son and my brother both turned up and as usual their conversation went mostly over my head. I had been trying to do some sewing and was complaining about the intricacies of working out how things would fit together when turned inside out, which got them talking about Moebius strips.
I knew about these, but was introduced to some fascinating sidelights. If any non-mathematical Gran feels like performing a bit of simple scientific magic with the GC, here is how (try it in private first) - four variations:-
1) Cut a strip of paper about an inch or two wide and a foot or so long - from an A4 sheet is about right. It is better with paper that is coloured on one side, but boring white stuff from the printer will do. Bring one end of the strip round to meet the other end and join them into a ring with a bit of sellotape BUT give the strip a half-turn first, so that there is a half-twist in it. This is a Moebius strip. Start writing or drawing along one face and keep going until you can't go any further. The You tube video link below shows how.
2) Make another strip and cut along the centre of the strip all the way round.
3) Make another strip and cut along all the way round, a third of the way across the strip.
4) Make another strip and give this one a full twist. Cut round the centre of the strip.
There is a youtube video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-19NLKxNUc and one showing how to make a cute pair of linked Moebius hearts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqmG6mq0c_M
Off to email the info.
Mysterious hole - help please!
Feeling uneasy with tradespeople in the house.
