Origami Science

mpark6288 writes: "Alright, so we all remember elementary school, and the endless paper cuts that we got from trying to learn some origami. Some how my crane was always a boat. But, as News Factor: Sci Tech states: 'The theorem is, you can make any shape, and there is an algorithm for folding the piece of paper,' stated MIT Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Erik Demaine said. Referencing applications of origami in robotic arm manipulation, bioinformatics, protein folding and molecular biology, Demaine said there is a multitude of possibilities from origami principles as simple as folding a square piece of paper in half and making one calculated cut. So who knows, those annoying little shuriken (throwing stars) that you made to throw at girls (eww cooties) could have been a major scientific breakthrough!"

Some links

[Eigenray]

Origami math [merrimack.edu] is cool... (check out the galleries [merrimack.edu]!)
hyperbolic paraboloids [uwaterloo.ca] are actually pretty easy and fun to make (and they drive the ladies wild ;).
The Five Intersecting Tetrahedra [merrimack.edu] are neat too but can get really hard when you're putting in the last couple.
And there's plently of theoretical stuff [uwaterloo.ca]; for example, you can axiomitize [merrimack.edu] origami, and trisect angles and double cubes and stuff.
Some people have even made origami/combinatorial geometry courses [merrimack.edu].

Origami Shurikens

[FunkyRat]

Directions for making those cool paper shurikens can be found here [folds.net].

Tip from the expert

[Anonymous Coward]

When making origami ninja stars, use two pieces of origami paper. Do not cut one sheet in half as directed in these instructions.

The two-sheet shurikens are heavier and more accurate than their single-sheet brethren. They make larger dents in drywall as well.