Modeling Buckyball Molecules with African Hexastrip Weaves

Paulus Gerdes, professor of mathematics in Mozambique, has studied the use of hexagonal weaving patterns in Africa and indigenous cultures elsewhere (India, Brazil, Malaysia, etc.). He found that this weaving technique could also be used to model the hexagonal patterns in large carbon molecules called "buckministerfullerenes" (named after the inventor of geodesic domes, R. Buckminster Fuller). They are often called "buckyballs" for short. This website will show you how to make these indigenous weave models yourself using paper, tape and scissors.