iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

lemon, chocolate, and tahini

Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Agree the diagram provides useful intuition! And pairing up cos/sin makes sense. It's been a couple decades since I took college math but I remember not learning about derivatives of parametric equations until multivariable calculus. Are they taught in Calc I these days?

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I’m not as bothered by the hidden limit as I am by the use of multivariable calculus to explain single-variable calculus concepts

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I've also ordered SLS and MJF prints in the past from Shapeways, JLC3DP, or PCBWay, and it is much harder to see the layer lines on those.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Thanks! There's a couple of options for eliminating the layer lines but the first one we want to try out is ~3ish coats of spraypaint on the 3D print before making the mold. There are also specialty products for doing this but they are not fun to work with and/or don't work with PLA.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

this belongs here bsky.app/profile/spav...

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

apparently the shirt has been ordered

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I thought the link went to a "more info" page and then Zoom opened 😮 oops

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

apropos of nothing, just wanted to announce that it's my birthday Friday and my shirt size is M

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

QRP your bird art 🐓 (slide from today's lecture in ENGR 009 mzucker.github.io/e9_f2026/#sc...)

chickents? chixx? it's badly drawn birds in wallpaper group ×× aka group cm

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

missed that detail, still enjoyed the movie

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Kirby they were born in 2008. 2008!

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I ate the cake Kendra made and can confirm it was delicious

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Same! The start of the semester always kicks my ass

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I would be glad to help other profs develop courses similar to this one! Consider this an open invitation to set up a Zoom or a summer visit to Swarthmore to discuss course design or materials

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Reposted by Matt Zucker

Tien Chih @tienchihmath.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

...making my freshman seminar class next year to be about tilings and tessellations, and force myself to learn this math deeply. So @mattz.bsky.social's resources could not have been posted at a better time! Difference is, he certainly knows what the fuck he is doing, I certainly do not 🤣.

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Reposted by Matt Zucker

ꭓle Ormsby 𓆙 @e-infinity.space · 16/09/2026

Well, now I want to drop everything and take this class. Thread and resources 👇

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's been a decade since I got a chance to offer an "outreach" class to non-Engineering majors and I'm especially psyched to be doing it with what is essentially a course in #MathArt. Can't wait to see what my students produce!

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We are using The Magic Theorem (Conway, Burgiel, and Goodman-Strauss) and Designing Repeat Patterns (Jackson) as textbooks, with additional readings from @robertfathauer.bsky.social's Tessellations: Mathematics, Art, and Recreation.

Cover design for The Magic Theorem (Conway, Burgiel, Goodman-Strauss).

Cover design for How to Make Repeat Patterns (Jackson).

Cover design for Tessellations: Mathematics, Art, and Recreation (Fathauer).

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

In Thursday's class, students used a variety of techniques to make repeating tiles, including subdividing squares/triangles/hexagons, Escher-style edge matching, and Jürgen Richter-Gebert's iOrnament software (try it at imaginary.github.io/cindyjs-apps...).

A step-by step illustration showing how to make two varieties of repeating tiles by subdividing a square and rearranging the pieces.

The same process applied to triangular tiles to get a tile that covers the plane with 632 symmetry.

Classical Escher-style edge matching to produce a squggly shape that tiles the plane.

Tracing the previous shape to demonstrate that it indeed covers the plane.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Of course, I couldn't resist casting a few of my reaction diffusion Truchet tiles (archive.bridgesmathart.org/2026/bridges...) to familiarize myself with the fabrication techniques we'll be using.

Square tiles made out of concrete with an organic, random-looking wavy pattern similar to brain coral.

A close-up detail of the tiles in the previous photo.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Students will use 3D design software to make repeating shapes that they will cast in concrete. Here are a couple of representative images from a similar course that my co-instructor Josh Jordan taught at the Columbia architecture school.

A tiny model of a person sitting on top a pyramidal concrete tile, with dramatic red lighting and a pink background

Some abstract tiles consisting of hemispheres with smooth bridges between them, kind of a love child of old school demoscene metaballs and Truchet tiles.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This fall I am co-teaching a brand-new class – ENGR 009: Fabricating Tessellations and Tilings. It's roughly equal parts math and design, filtered thru an engineering perspective. The syllabus and all assignments are freely available to the public at mzucker.github.io/e9_f2026/

A hexagonal tile with a chamfered edge and an interacting sawtooth pattern.

A 9-triangle polyiamond shown tiling with symmetries *x, 22x, 632, 22x (again), and 2222.

A snippet of decorative tiles from the Alhambra.

GRT Architects "flutes and reeds" tile system

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Reposted by Matt Zucker

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Any city government that would allow this to happen on their watch is a fucking disgrace btw. The academy is a core component of public engagement with science in the city of Philadelphia.

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Mods are asleep, post illegal Smurfs

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

teaching my 3yo about her culture 🔔

a drawing of Gritty on a child’s eraseable tablet, looking disturbingly flirtatious

a picture of the Philly Phanatic on a child’s drawing tablet

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

congratulations or sorry that happened to you

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Reposted by Matt Zucker

Matt Henderson @matthen.com · 22/08/2026

Filling Space

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Would it still have been useful today if they had kept it operational?

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Reposted by Matt Zucker

Dave Richeson @divbyzero.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

A new impossible object

A photograph of an arrow reflected in a mirror and pointed the other direction

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I'm in this picture! (probably)

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Made a friend at the Paul Smiths VIC

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Previously on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/matt...

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Earlier this year I was invited by www.instagram.com/composition.... to give a talk about my work on Computer-Assisted Quilting at their May 2026 event in Philadelphia, and they've just posted video from the event on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY2...

youtube.com

Composition #1 - Matt Zucker - Computer-Assisted Quilting

YouTube video by Composition

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Matt Zucker @mattz.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

ok so I am going to Iceland in a few weeks and I need to know where to get one of these

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