With all the topological mention these days, we have to ask - whatever happened to knots?
String figures shed light on cultural connections and the roots of mathematical reasoning
Dec 2024, phys.org
String figure games (like cat's cradle or jacob's ladder?) involve the manipulation of a loop of string with the fingers to create complex patterns. The researchers analyzed 826 string figures from 92 cultures around the world. They found 83 recurring designs. The results show that certain figures are globally prevalent. In certain cases, this suggests ancient cultural origins potentially extending back millennia.The researchers applied mathematical knot theory to develop a computational method to create a DNA-like symbolic representation of each string figure. This enables the cross-cultural comparison of string figures and the construction of their "family tree."
via University of Helsinki, Aarhus University, National Museum of Denmark and Seattle University: Roope O. Kaaronen et al, A global cross-cultural analysis of string figures reveals evidence of deep transmission and innovation, Journal of The Royal Society Interface (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0673
Image credit: Fingers, not bad, not good enough. AI Art - Let Go - 2025
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