The Latest Wrinkle in Crumple Theory
From studies of “geometric frustration,” scientists learn how paper folds under pressure.
In a sense, creases happen when a thin sheet of material gets claustrophobia. “The sheet is stressed, so something needs to happen to relieve that stress,” said Jovana Andrejević, a Ph.D. student in applied physics at Harvard.Credit.Jens Mortensen for The New York Times
By Siobhan Roberts
March 8, 2021
A piece of crumpled paper, in all of its creased fragmentations, suffers from “geometric frustration.” Who among us can’t sympathize?
In a sense, creases happen when a thin sheet of material gets claustrophobia. “New creases form if a sheet doesn’t comfortably fit into its confined area,” said Jovana Andrejević, a Ph.D. student in applied physics at Harvard and the lead author of a new paper detailing the latest advances in paper crumpling.