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The Infinite Pattern That Never Repeats

Veritasium · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Recreational & visual mathMaterials sciencePure mathematics

What it is

Veritasium explains how Penrose tilings and quasicrystals overturned the belief that 5-fold symmetry and non-periodic crystals were impossible, including an interview with Paul Steinhardt.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Strongly recommended as a mind-bending, approachable explanation of aperiodic patterns, even enjoyable with kids.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 3 strong recommendations
  • first 2021, last 2023

What HN commenters said

  1. “featured a great video on Penrose tilings and their relationship to quasicrystals [0].”

    Penrose tilings and their link to quasicrystals.

    pseudolus, 2021-05 · Strong recommendation · in “First nuclear detonation created ‘impossible’ quasicrystals”

  2. “Great video thanks for sharing.”

    Mind-bending explanation of aperiodic patterns.

    belter, 2021-07 · Strong recommendation · in “The first atomic bomb created ‘forbidden’ quasicrystal”

  3. “My kids and I geeked out over the Veritasium video on Penrose tiles”

    Approachable math on Penrose tiles enjoyed with kids.

    MontagFTB, 2023-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Mathematicians discover shape that can tile a wall and never repeat”

  4. “I just happened to come across this fascinating video[0] yesterday that explained the same thing.”

    Explains aperiodic patterns and quasicrystals.

    namelosw, 2021-07 · Recommendation · in “The first atomic bomb created ‘forbidden’ quasicrystal”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: penrose tiling, aperiodic tiling, symmetry, crystals, mathematics

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