Math and science sure are fun, but what are geeks to do once they go home after a long day under the fume hood?  There are many hobbies that can be adapted to soothe the nerdy soul and one that may even enhance mathematical prowess and intuition.

Brace yourselves, it’s crochet.  Yep, crocheting, just like your grandma and great aunt Ethel used to do can produce more than scratchy afghans to adorn your parlor.  It can answer questions like “will straight, parallel lines intersect on a curved surface” or “does my hypothetical pseudosphere agree with Bolyai-Lobachevskian geometry”?  Granted, non-Euclidean geometry sounds pretty fancy, but just watch as it unfolds before your eyes into a three dimensional and easily manipulated model when rendered with yarn and a hook.  (Visit the Institute For Figuring’s (IFF) online exhibit of hyperbolic space for a more extensive introduction.)
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