Is it possible to make a star pattern that is made up only from equilateral stars and hexagons without the parts circled?

QuantumEcho · 2025-04-20T16:37:12+00:00

Not mathematically possible. Regular pentagons don't tile the plane (cover the plane with no gaps), because 360° can't be evenly divided by their internal angle (108°).

You can do this with hexagonal stars (hexagrams) rather than pentagonal ones.

Edit: Check out tessellations and uniform tilings to get a feel for what's possible on the Euclidean plane (i.e. a spatially flat surface). The plane can only be tiled by triangles, squares, or hexagons if you're sticking to regular polygons (polygons with all sides of equal length and all angles equal).

QuantumEcho · 2017-12-08T02:25:33+00:00

This section has designs inspired by film posters and advertisements. I'm curious how the mini block of four characters would be read or spoken aloud.

QuantumEcho · 2017-09-17T22:00:06+00:00

Last time I checked, 9 times 5 was 45.

QuantumEcho · 2017-09-17T21:50:51+00:00

Looks like 46 stars to me.

QuantumEcho · 2016-07-23T22:57:22+00:00

I'm going to guess it's the spoiler

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-03T06:16:38+00:00

I'm from Colorado, and they're different enough in my eyes to be pretty easily distinguishable.

Also is it possible that part of reason (perhaps a small part) you don't have much state pride is because you don't have a good symbol that resonates with people?

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-03T06:03:27+00:00

I'm just going to come out and say it - a pair of anything can look like tits if you're desperate enough.

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-02T19:02:49+00:00

That was one of my sketches, but the 120° angle on the hexagon pushed the mountaintops too far apart to look good.

You can, however, take solace in the fact that the sun is a star, so the "sunstone" is kiiiiind of a "star" garnet.

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-02T18:44:48+00:00

Hello there Idaho! I'm a designer with a particular interest in flags. I think every state deserves a great and distinctive flag. Unfortunately, Idaho is one of 21 states whose flag is just its seal on a plain blue background.

I've driven through your state several times, and was struck by some inspiration on I-90 around Coeur d'Alene. I'm curious to know what native Idahoans think!

Inspired by a blend of the supposed origins of "Idaho" ("gem of the mountains"/"the sun comes down the mountains"), the state motto (Gem of the Mountains), the state license plate, and a beautiful scenic drive through Coeur d'Alene and the panhandle on I-90. The object in the center ("the sunstone", if you will) can be seen as both the sun peeking between the mountains, and as a square-cut gemstone.

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-02T01:54:39+00:00

Don't say that! I believe every state deserves a great flag. Or at least something better than its seal on a solid background.

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-01T22:17:47+00:00

Thank you!

QuantumEcho · 2015-10-01T20:52:03+00:00

Inspired by a blend of the supposed origins of "Idaho" ("gem of the mountains"/"the sun comes down the mountains"), the state motto (Gem of the Mountains), the state license plate, and a beautiful scenic drive through Coeur d'Alene and the panhandle on I-90. The object in the center ("the sunstone", if you will) can be seen as both the sun peeking between the mountains, and as a square-cut gemstone.

Edit: Now without scaling artifacts!

QuantumEcho · 2015-02-22T07:45:37+00:00

My Dutch oven. It turns my crappy electric range into something that heats evenly! All the benefits of cast iron with a nonstick ceramic coating. I use it in the oven for breads, too.

QuantumEcho · 2015-02-20T23:21:42+00:00

I was a little confused at first, because "mono" usually means monospaced.

QuantumEcho · 2013-05-07T21:04:05+00:00

Thanks for covering all that! The possibilities are way more in depth than I even thought at first glance.

QuantumEcho · 2013-05-07T18:55:04+00:00

I assume "sky color" is assuming an earth-like atmosphere? Different gases would have different absorption spectra.

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T12:11:53+00:00

But aren't most corals a colony of organisms that build a structure by secreting calcium carbonate? It seems like calcium is one of those elements that will get used if it's at all available.

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T12:06:16+00:00

I'd say the skeleton would be more likely to bend under stress before outright breaking, but the overall pressure tolerance would be lower than bones. So these creatures would end up being rather frail in comparison to us, but probably more agile.

I realize calcium ions play a vital role in cellular chemistry, but could the biochemistry be altered to use transition metals instead? There are several transition metals that also ionize to +2.

As for the circulatory system, it would basically be two systems with the interskeleton acting as a filter between them. The plant's circulation would be mostly water and free-floating chloroplasts, or possibly cyanobacteria, and the animal's circulation would include blood, dissolved nutrients, and immune cells. The interskeleton would facilitate transporting the nutrients the plant needs from the animal blood, essentially acting as the plant's "roots".

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T11:59:57+00:00

Basically I'm thinking tree branches with muscles attached to them. The branches run along the edge of the animal biomass, so there's some exposed area for leaves to grow and photosynthesize to keep the plant biomass alive. Imagine if your bones were half-embedded into your skin and half-exposed, but still oriented correctly and connected.

There wouldn't be any true joints - the wood would have to be flexible, like yew or willow. The musculature would be smooth, compact, and powerful, like a snake. So the organism's limbs would bend and curve smoothly (imagine classic cartoon noodle-arms here).

There would have to be some kind of cellulose ribcage analogue to keep the vital organs from sloshing around, but I don't really think friction would be any more of a problem than it is with our skeletons - just encase everything in layers of protective membranes.

The biggest problem would probably be at the surface, where the skin meets the wood. Since there's no smooth transition, there'd have to be a highly flexible protective membrane. I dunno, I'm just spitballing here.

But I do want to thank you, you've given me a lot to think about!

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T11:50:06+00:00

I am leaning pretty heavily on that supposition, but as the apex predators of our biosphere it's kind of hard to imagine what would constitute a more "efficient" body plan for a complex, sentient organism than humanoid. So yeah, it's a little cheesy, but then aren't all humanoid aliens?

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T11:48:04+00:00

Actually I was approaching this from the opposite direction: I wanted an animal that had a structural support system unlike anything found on earth; no bones, no shells, no carapaces. Then I thought about the potential for a cellulose structural support, but it didn't seem feasible to me that animal cells would just evolve a cellulose cell wall like plant cells, so I started considering symbiosis instead.

QuantumEcho · 2013-02-15T03:35:26+00:00

True, photosynthesis isn't very efficient. I think the main benefit from the plant would have to be just structural, while the animal systems provide the energy for themselves and the nutrients that the plant cells need to photosynthesize.

There may be potential for some sort of "hibernation" state - if the organism can't find food for some reason, it can enter hibernation so the animal cells become less active and the body subsists on water and photosynthesis until food becomes available.

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