Slide together forms
These are
"slide together forms". This one is made from 20 equilateral triangles. The result is a truncated icosahedron with "flourishes" -- each hexagonal face has three points that meet across it. The pentagonal faces are "ports" in this version. Looking into the ball, you can see it's resemblance to a soccer ball.
Straw and pipecleaner truncated icosahedron
A truncated icosahedron is an
Archemedian Solid. I don't know what that means.
I do know that an icosahedron is the shape a 20-sided die is made in, and that each face is an equilateral triangle and 5 triangles meet at each point. When you cut those points off, you get a mess of pentagons and hexagons that equals a "truncated icosahedron." But if you want a familiar name for it, it's a soccer ball. Have you ever noticed that each hexagon on a soccer ball has three pentagons and three hexagons bordering it? And that each pentagon has five hexagons bordering it?
I will post on "why" I'm doing this later... there will be cool pictures! But for now I am exploring another property of the structure. Every edge on the structure is exactly the same length. So I have cut 60 2" sections of straw and I am weaving them together with pipe cleaners. (Originally, I made 60 three pointed joints as well, but they didn't fit the straws with enough tension to actually "hang on" and the thing collapsed.
Here's the weaving in progress. (Yes, everything in the house is a kitty toy. Especially new things.)
Here's the finished product:
