Welcome to this week’s Math Munch!
If you like Rubik’s Cubes, then check out Oskar van Deventer’s original Rubik’s cube-type puzzles! Oskar is a Dutch scientist who has been designing puzzles since he was 12 years old. He makes many of his puzzles using a 3D printer, with a company called Shapeways.
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Oskar has posted a number of videos of himself explaining his creations. Here’s him demonstrating the Oh Cube:
Next, take a look at these beautiful curved-crease sculptures made by MIT mathematician and origami artist Erik Demaine and his father, Martin Demaine. Erik and Martin make these hyperbolic paraboloid structures by folding rings of creases in a circular piece of paper. They have exhibits of their artwork in various museums and galleries, including in the MoMA permanent collection and the Guided By Invoices gallery in Chelsea, NYC. So, if you live in NYC, then you could go see these!
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Want to learn how to fold your own hyperbolic paraboloid? Erik has these instructions for making one out of a square piece of paper with straight folds.
Finally, here is a wonderful video made of Norton Juster’s picture book, The Dot and the Line. Enjoy!
Bon appetit!
Math Munch 
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When I read about Oskar, I thought it was great to be making puzzles at such a young age. Also when I read about the oh cube I didn’t know what it was at first because I have never heard of it before, so when I saw the video at first it did look a little similar to the Rubix cube, except the centers of the cube because they were rectangular. While I was the video I said to myself If I get this cube it would take me a while to get use to because you are not moving a side you are moving a corner. Ivery much enjoyed this post because I learned something new.
I watched the video on the Oh Cube, and I would really like to try to solve one of them. It looks easier than a Rubik’s Cube, but I bet that it isn’t. I think the pattern of it’s very interesting, and is much more complex than the Rubik’s cube. I’ve never seen the Oh Cube in stores, but if I do, I’m totally getting one! Now, I wonder how few moves you can solve that one in. Since there are only eight pieces that you can move, I’m assuming it will be less. The Oh Cube is interesting because there are two different colors on each block, so that makes it even harder.
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Looks really cool. Never tried an Oh Cube before. Could it be oiled like a Rubik’s cube? Cutting corners would then be as easier than ever.
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