Emporer’s New Mind author bummed out by TP
- Cory Doctorow
- Uncategorized
- Apr 15, 2002
Roger “king-hell math-guy” Penrose is suing over the presence of Penrose tiles on bumwad.
In a unique accusation of copyright infringement, distinguished mathematical physicist Sir Roger Penrose has filed a lawsuit over the decorative design on a brand of toilet paper. He charges that the Kimberly-Clark Corporation unlawfully appropriated an important geometric pattern of his creation and imprinted it on rolls of Kleenex Quilted bathroom tissue. He is demanding that all existing stock of the offensively designed T.P. be confiscated and destroyed, and wants an inquiry into Kimberly-Clark’s profits so that suitable damages may be assessed….
Speaking of doing things by hand, let’s get back to the toilet paper. When Penrose noticed a pack of Kleenex Quilted his wife had purchased, he immediately recognized the design embossed on its ill-fated 2-ply sheets. It was a very near facsimile of an aperiodic pattern he had created twenty years ago. Widely known in the geometry field as “Penrose tilings,” this particular pattern is notable for using only two polygons to cover a surface. A thin diamond and a thick one form an endlessly interlocking field of five-pointed stars and decagons, sort of like a mildly psychedelic bathroom tile.