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The science of symmetry - Colm Kelleher

2014-05-13

[public] 658K views, 5.84K likes, dislikes audio only

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-science-of-symmetry-colm-kelleher

When you hear the word symmetry, you might think generally of triangles, butterflies, or even ballerinas. But defined scientifically, symmetry is "a transformation that leaves an object unchanged." Huh? Colm Kelleher unpacks this abstract term and explains how animal's distinct symmetries can tell us more about them -- and ourselves.

Lesson by Colm Kelleher, animation by Andrew Foerster.


What Does It Mean for an Object To Be Symmetric
/youtube/video/3drtbPZF9yc?t=46.879002
Example Symmetry
/youtube/video/3drtbPZF9yc?t=109.549
Radial Symmetry
/youtube/video/3drtbPZF9yc?t=161.06
Reconstructing the Tree of Life
/youtube/video/3drtbPZF9yc?t=278.17999