7 ms·

Zero-Volume Glass Klein Bottles: 3D Immersion of 4D Shape

53 points by grhmc 12y ago

jonah 12y ago
Fantastic writing on that site!
- marak830 12y ago
  Indeed the product descriptions are good for a laugh. The bottles look interesting too, I wouldn't mind one for my desk.
- JonAtkinson 12y ago
  The author, Clifford Stoll, is quite a character. He wrote "The Cuckoo's Egg", which was (I think) one of the first hacker-thriller novels, which I hold directly responsible for getting me into UNIX as a 12-year old in the 90's. I still have a very old battered copy somewhere. He's become something of a technology curmudgeon now, and I recall him writing a few articles in the 90's with titles like "Why the Internet is a failure". Interesting guy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll edit: Whoops - the book was "The Cuckoo's Egg", not "The Cuckoo's Nest".
  - johnloeber 12y ago
    He gave a TED talk a few years back.[0] He's certainly an interesting, very alert guy, and he's a great motivator: he seems to be particularly good at exciting his audience and getting them curious about the subject matter. He taught 8th grade science class -- it must've been quite an experience being one of his students. [0] http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything
  - jboynyc 12y ago
    The Cuckoo's Egg is nonfiction, based on Stoll's work as a sysadmin. It tells the other side of the story portrayed in the German cult film 23 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_%28film%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_%28film%29). I have defended his curmudgeonliness here: http://axyl.us/post/479929158/clifford-stoll-was-right http://axyl.us/post/479929158/clifford-stoll-was-right
    - JonAtkinson 12y ago
      I didn't know it was non-fiction! To be honest, I've not read the book for probably 15 years, but that adds a really interesting spin on it. Thanks for pointing that out!
radio4fan 12y ago
I bought one of these about 15 years ago. The packaging was great, with lots of funny cards and stickers. Apparently now you get photos of Cliff with your actual bottle, and a personalised drawing on the box. I'm permanently on the move, so I've got it stored in my parents' attic. I told them to be careful with it, as it contains the entire universe.
Sharlin 12y ago
I love the wine bottle variant [1]. "Guaranteed to frustrate even the most dedicated wine connoisseur: it's difficult to fill, difficult to pour, and difficult to clean." [1] http://www.kleinbottle.com/wine_bottle_klein_bottle.html http://www.kleinbottle.com/wine_bottle_klein_bottle.html
- csmattryder 12y ago
  Sounds like a friendlier version of the Pythagoras cup [0]. I'd take a slow pour over being drenched any day. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_cup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_cup
  - genericuser 12y ago
    Which he also sells https://www.kleinbottle.com/Tantalus.html https://www.kleinbottle.com/Tantalus.html
pi-rat 12y ago
Clifford Stoll is awesome, definitely check out his TED talk! I have one of these bottles made by him: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/2489219187/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/2489219187/ They're pretty neat, but people often think I've a bong on display on my bookshelf. :p
- ecaron 12y ago
  As a side note, if you click that link and see Flickr's homepage, just close the tab and click it again. I think Flickr has launched a new feature...
saalweachter 12y ago
So if these are zero-volume, can you take them as carry-on on US flights?
- joezydeco 12y ago
  They hold less than 300mL of liquid, so yes.
  - lwhalen 12y ago
    I thought they contained the entirety of space-time?
platz 12y ago
They seem neither one sided nor zero-volume. The spout simply is routed through the bottom instead of coming out the top. It may be more "smooth" than a wine bottle, but if this zero volume then a wine bottle also must have zero volume, putting the spout somewhere else, and making the spout concave instead of convex, doesn't change this.
- cLeEOGPw 12y ago
  Yes, by article's definition any open bottle is 0 volume.
- unfamiliar 12y ago
  They are "zero volume" because they don't have an inside. Everything that looks like it is inside can be reached from the outside without breaking the glass. The same can't be said for a (corked) wine bottle.
- DanBC 12y ago
  Klein Bottles are not something that company just made up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle
madcaptenor 12y ago
I keep meaning to buy one of his portraits of Gauss (http://www.kleinbottle.com/gauss.htm http://www.kleinbottle.com/gauss.htm)
CliffStoll 12y ago
Yikes - I'm mentioned on YCombinator! I'm honored, but a bit taken aback. Umm - what to say? Whatever I'm accused of, it's probably true. And yes, I make those Klein bottles. A way for this physicist to tweak the noses of his mathematican friends... Warm cheers all around, -Cliff (sunny afternoon in Oakland)
- grhmc 12y ago
  Six years ago I called you to ask you to be my advisor on a high school research project. You cried out of honor, and declined, because I lived too far away (Florida.) You're my idol!
ElijahLynn 12y ago
Clifford Stoll kind of debuts the Klein bottles in this video here => http://youtu.be/Gj8IA6xOpSk?t=4m24s http://youtu.be/Gj8IA6xOpSk?t=4m24s

53 points by grhmc 12y ago

jonah 12y ago

Fantastic writing on that site!

marak830 12y ago
Indeed the product descriptions are good for a laugh. The bottles look interesting too, I wouldn't mind one for my desk.
JonAtkinson 12y ago
The author, Clifford Stoll, is quite a character. He wrote "The Cuckoo's Egg", which was (I think) one of the first hacker-thriller novels, which I hold directly responsible for getting me into UNIX as a 12-year old in the 90's. I still have a very old battered copy somewhere. He's become something of a technology curmudgeon now, and I recall him writing a few articles in the 90's with titles like "Why the Internet is a failure". Interesting guy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll edit: Whoops - the book was "The Cuckoo's Egg", not "The Cuckoo's Nest".
- johnloeber 12y ago
  He gave a TED talk a few years back.[0] He's certainly an interesting, very alert guy, and he's a great motivator: he seems to be particularly good at exciting his audience and getting them curious about the subject matter. He taught 8th grade science class -- it must've been quite an experience being one of his students. [0] http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything
- jboynyc 12y ago
  The Cuckoo's Egg is nonfiction, based on Stoll's work as a sysadmin. It tells the other side of the story portrayed in the German cult film 23 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_%28film%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_%28film%29). I have defended his curmudgeonliness here: http://axyl.us/post/479929158/clifford-stoll-was-right http://axyl.us/post/479929158/clifford-stoll-was-right
  - JonAtkinson 12y ago
    I didn't know it was non-fiction! To be honest, I've not read the book for probably 15 years, but that adds a really interesting spin on it. Thanks for pointing that out!

radio4fan 12y ago

I bought one of these about 15 years ago. The packaging was great, with lots of funny cards and stickers. Apparently now you get photos of Cliff with your actual bottle, and a personalised drawing on the box. I'm permanently on the move, so I've got it stored in my parents' attic. I told them to be careful with it, as it contains the entire universe.

Sharlin 12y ago

I love the wine bottle variant [1]. "Guaranteed to frustrate even the most dedicated wine connoisseur: it's difficult to fill, difficult to pour, and difficult to clean." [1] http://www.kleinbottle.com/wine_bottle_klein_bottle.html http://www.kleinbottle.com/wine_bottle_klein_bottle.html

csmattryder 12y ago
Sounds like a friendlier version of the Pythagoras cup [0]. I'd take a slow pour over being drenched any day. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_cup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_cup
- genericuser 12y ago
  Which he also sells https://www.kleinbottle.com/Tantalus.html https://www.kleinbottle.com/Tantalus.html

pi-rat 12y ago

Clifford Stoll is awesome, definitely check out his TED talk! I have one of these bottles made by him: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/2489219187/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/2489219187/ They're pretty neat, but people often think I've a bong on display on my bookshelf. :p

ecaron 12y ago
As a side note, if you click that link and see Flickr's homepage, just close the tab and click it again. I think Flickr has launched a new feature...

saalweachter 12y ago

So if these are zero-volume, can you take them as carry-on on US flights?

joezydeco 12y ago
They hold less than 300mL of liquid, so yes.
- lwhalen 12y ago
  I thought they contained the entirety of space-time?

platz 12y ago

They seem neither one sided nor zero-volume. The spout simply is routed through the bottom instead of coming out the top. It may be more "smooth" than a wine bottle, but if this zero volume then a wine bottle also must have zero volume, putting the spout somewhere else, and making the spout concave instead of convex, doesn't change this.

cLeEOGPw 12y ago
Yes, by article's definition any open bottle is 0 volume.
unfamiliar 12y ago
They are "zero volume" because they don't have an inside. Everything that looks like it is inside can be reached from the outside without breaking the glass. The same can't be said for a (corked) wine bottle.
DanBC 12y ago
Klein Bottles are not something that company just made up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle

madcaptenor 12y ago

I keep meaning to buy one of his portraits of Gauss (http://www.kleinbottle.com/gauss.htm http://www.kleinbottle.com/gauss.htm)

CliffStoll 12y ago

Yikes - I'm mentioned on YCombinator! I'm honored, but a bit taken aback. Umm - what to say? Whatever I'm accused of, it's probably true. And yes, I make those Klein bottles. A way for this physicist to tweak the noses of his mathematican friends... Warm cheers all around, -Cliff (sunny afternoon in Oakland)

grhmc 12y ago
Six years ago I called you to ask you to be my advisor on a high school research project. You cried out of honor, and declined, because I lived too far away (Florida.) You're my idol!

ElijahLynn 12y ago

Clifford Stoll kind of debuts the Klein bottles in this video here => http://youtu.be/Gj8IA6xOpSk?t=4m24s http://youtu.be/Gj8IA6xOpSk?t=4m24s