The Sydney Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: The Show is Open

The exhibition has been launched and is open up to the 30th of August. With over 350 contributors the show is really special , thankyou to everyone who made the Sydney Reef.

Network Image
Above : The image created by In Stitches to represent the connections between crochet groups in the Sydney Reef project.
Each name in the image is related to geometry and coral reef degradation. Follow the names and see how groups grew.

The Sydney Reef...

Launch on Saturday the 22nd.

Below: Matthew Connell curator of mathematics and computing reading excerpts of a 1703 edition of Euclids - Elements of Geometry.

Details from the Sydney Reef...

Images by Claire Conroy

Throughout the festival there will be talks related to Maths, Climate Change and Coral Reefs.

Sunday 31 August 2009
2pm - 3pm, Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo

Can corals survive humans?
Associate Professor Peter Ralph, Executive Director Plant Functional Biology & Climate Change Cluster (C3)

Corals have existed for millions of years and survived in a wide range of climates; but coral bleaching seems to have pushed corals to the brink. Research in to coral bleaching has been at the forefront of the climate change agenda for many years. It attracts much public interest, but we still do not know why corals die at temperatures only a few degrees higher than their optimum. Will the Great Barrier Reef be dominated by fleshy macroalgae, soft corals or just a film of bacteria covering the dead coral skeletons?

Wednesday 26 August 2009
2pm - 3pm, Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo

From certainty to fallibility: an epic tale from the history of mathematics
Matthew Connell, Principal Curator, Science Technology and Industry, Powerhouse Museum

For 2000 years, the geometry of Euclid's Elements was regarded as the pinnacle of human reasoning and the most reliable branch of knowledge. The Sydney hyperbolic crochet coral reef demonstrates a new geometry which, when discovered 200 years ago, led to a great philosophical crisis. How can the shapes seen rendered by crochet have brought the mathematical world to its knees?

Matthew Connell will discuss the crisis started by the discovery of non-Euclidean geometries and how attempts to resolve it led to conception of the defining technology of our age. The Syndey hyperbolic crochet coral reef is on display from 21-30 August.

These special Talks After Noon events are part of Ultimo Science Festival.

Talks After Noon is a series of lectures, held twice a week, with Museum curators, experts and special guests

Talks are free with Museum admission ($10 adults/$6 concession/Powerhouse Members free)
Powerhouse Museum 500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Tel (02) 9217 0509 Email adultlearning@phm.gov.au