A recent documentary from Green Fuse Films explores the art and science of paper folding through a series of diverse and intriguing profiles. Check out the trailer, some clips, and links to some related thoughts.

Directed by Vanessa Gould, Between the Folds is a relatively short documentary at 56mins, but is logically structured, and filled with extraordinarily interesting folders, from passionate artists and complex mathematicians.

Check out the trailer here, and some clips from the film here to get an idea, I particularly enjoyed the father-son du0 (home-schooled of course, both with ponytails) who are at MIT (the son became the youngest Professor ever, having been awarded his PhD at 20)  The official site of the documentary at PBS has some more background information, and a short interview with Vanessa Gould. I suspect you can find a legitimate version of the doco online somewhere, otherwise do a bit of poking around and I'm sure you'll find a bit of it to watch.


A still from Between the Folds.

One of the featured mathematicians, Robert Lang, also spoke at TED about the mathematical advancements in origami, and their applications in technology industries. Check that out here.


Robert Lang at TED.


If you're left wanting more about space, about buildings, and about engineering, I can only refer you to the recent book produced by Jane Burry and Mark Burry, The New Mathematics of Architecture, which was published through Thames & Hudson this year, check it out here.