The math of why it’s so hard to build a spherical Death Star in space

Enlarge / Geometry puts some real design constraints on Darth Vader’s desire for a spherical Death Star. (credit: Ben Orlin) Opting to build the Death Star in the shape of a sphere may not have been classic Star Wars villain Darth Vader’s wisest move, according to math teacher Ben Orlin. He investigates this burning question, […]

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Chain-free bikes and a spherical Segway

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to […]