Most jigsaw puzzles present assemblers with a clear challenge: Arrange the pieces just right until you’ve recreated the picture on the box. If puzzles appeal to your logical side, you may have a hard time completing the Infinite Galaxy Puzzle. As Gizmodo reports, the pieces are specially designed to fit together in any direction with no boundaries to contain them.
The edgeless puzzle was made possible using “math, science, and lasers,” according to the creators. The geometric concept that inspired the idea is called a Klein bottle, a theoretical 3D shape that’s mathematically identical inside and out.
Because both sides of the puzzle feature a picture of the Milky Way’s galactic core, it has no fixed up or down. The image wraps around from one surface to the other making it impossible to see the whole thing at once. When putting the puzzle together, pieces on the outside can be flipped over and transferred to the opposite side of the image, giving assembly a never-ending effect.
One puzzle includes 133 pieces laser-cut from birch plywood and costs $100. If you prefer puzzles that leave zero room for creativity, this 1000-color monstrosity from German artist Clemens Habicht is just as maddening.
[h/t Gizmodo]
November 29, 2016 – 9:00am