Your Klein Bottle is in the Post – Numberphile
If you’re a fan of math and science, then you may have come across the concept of a Klein bottle. But what exactly is a Klein bottle, and why is it such a fascinating mathematical object? In a recent video, the popular YouTube channel Numberphile took a closer look at this intriguing shape and its properties.
A Klein bottle is a one-sided surface with no boundary, much like a Möbius strip. However, unlike a Möbius strip, a Klein bottle is a three-dimensional object, which means it cannot exist in our 3D space without self-intersection. This is what makes the Klein bottle such a mind-bending concept.
In the Numberphile video, Dr. Tadashi Tokieda, a professor of mathematics at Stanford University, explains the properties of the Klein bottle in a way that is accessible and engaging. He demonstrates how a Klein bottle can be constructed by connecting two Möbius strips together, creating a surface with only one side and no boundary.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Klein bottle is its non-orientability, meaning that it does not have a distinct inside or outside. This property has important implications in topology, the branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of space that are preserved under continuous deformations.
But what does all of this have to do with the post? Well, as it turns out, you can actually purchase a Klein bottle and have it delivered to your door. The Klein bottle may not exist in our 3D space, but you can still own a physical representation of this mathematical marvel.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about the fascinating world of mathematics and exploring the mind-bending properties of the Klein bottle, be sure to check out the Numberphile video. And who knows, you may even decide to order your very own Klein bottle to add a touch of mathematical sophistication to your home or office!
Got my pictures an all, but not the bottle. Cliff did his best but brazillian post office did not cooperate. Thank you, Cliff, for the effort!
Cool! The "klein bottle dude" is still making* these, after all those years… Dedication, man.
*(is still in the klein bottle business)
What he fails to mention is the hilarious email that he sends responding to the order! Best purchase I’ve ever made.
I bought 2 bottles from Cliff a few years ago (the Stein and the water jug with long handle) and it was packages exactly like this. Well, with packing peanuts instead of these inflated sacks iirc. But I got the email with the pictures. Also, a fun detail was that he had written "fragile" on my package not just in english but also my own language, so the delivery driver would have no excuse, haha.
It is now my goal to buy a klein bottle next year once I have the money
seriously. A calibration report for the volume? For real?
Boise surface video?
His care in the order and delivery process was half the fun. By the time I was done I felt like I had hung out with Cliff. Which was such a joy.
I can confirm that Cliff has done this for years, I bought a bottle in 2007/08 and received all the pictures and great communication from Cliff. I mentioned the effort and personalisation that Cliff puts into it to our marketing head at work and he still uses the pictures Cliff sent in a power point for new people to show *THIS* is how you do marketing and sales, learn from him.
I was also lucky enough to meet Cliff in 2009 and he's just aa lovely in person as he is on video.
And if you've not read The Cuckoo's Egg book yet, put it on your to-read list it's a great page turner, can't recommend it enough.
I received mine today! It's exactly as he describes the process. Very happy 😀
Legend has it, he still has 1000 kline bottles under his house..
I ordered a glass bottle and its a wonderful adventure for me and for the bottle. Thanks for your Delivery to Germany! Greetings !!!
That calibration decal gave me quite a laugh. Thank you !
This is crazy. Cliff Stoll sell glasware all over the world. I can't get a porceline teapot delivered to Finland anywhere they make them because they break in transit. How does that happen?
I am a grown, 30-something (too old to count) year old man who just purchased two of these bottles. I literally broke down into tears when I received the email with the photos and personal message back from Cliff. Literally an inspiration to me, and someone that I can strive to be when I gather a few more years in life.
Are we not all missing something?
HE HAS A ROBOT TO DELIVER KLEIN BOTTLES
I could never throw away even the box…!
The fact that I get to share a birth day with Cliff Stoll just makes me happy, I know it’s trivial and arbitrary but I don’t care.
2021…
This man feels like if Mr Rogers mastered in math