The Math Midway premiered last Sunday to great success! The Organ Function Grinder, for which I wrote the music, was a lot of fun to play with. I designed an algorithm which would transform an input melody, creating a mathematical piece of music dependent on how the dials are set and what ticket is input. This algorithm was then programmed into Mathematica by George Hart. I hope to get up video footage soon so that you can hear the results!
I also spent the day making magic balloon octahedra for people. Here are some pictures from the event:
A girl sets the dials on the organ function grinder, while her friend inserts a number ticket.
Making a balloon octahedron wand (orange), watched by a girl who just received one (light blue). In the background, people ride square-wheeled tricycles.
Learn more about the other exhibits at the Math Midway on their website.
You may have seen our paper on Computational Balloon Twisting in the Publications section. That paper focuses on general graphs and polyhedra, but for an upcoming publication we're working on making orderly tangles out of balloons. Here are some models I made today. The dress is also a new creation—I've recently acquired a sewing machine.
I will be twisting balloon octahedra for children of all ages at the Math Midway premier next Sunday (June 14th)! There is a small green one in the photo, but I can make you any color you like.
![[Vi Hart logo]](/images/butterfly_small.png)
