Mmmm... pecans...

December 1, 2006 10:28 AM

A Pie-cosahedronand instructions on how to make it. Hint: start with lots of Karo syrup, some sheet metal, and plenty of time. That's not good enough? Try the fractal pie, baked in its own custom-made backyard oven! These both came from the wonderful site, instructables, which will reward you with many fun projects that you might even be able to do yourself.
posted by math (9 comments total)

(Also, instructables was mentioned here, earlier: http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/46788.)
posted by math at 10:30 AM on December 1, 2006

Mmmmm. I wonder if the infinite surface area of said pie will increase its deliciousness?
posted by SBMike at 10:36 AM on December 1, 2006

the thing they don't tell you about fractals is just how sharp and dangerous they are. i mean, you think you have a pretty good grasp of the mathematical analysis but until a piece of metal with a very high perimiter to surface area ratio tears into your flesh, you're really missing intuitive appreciation for objects that lack continuous derivatives almost everywhere.
posted by IronLizard at 10:47 AM on December 1, 2006

One of my favorites
posted by IronLizard at 10:49 AM on December 1, 2006

I don't know why, but the fact that it's pecan pie makes this seem like that much more awesome a venture. The guy in the next cube suggested that for the next one, he should actually form numbers out of the pecans, thus creating the possibility for some delicious and dorky D&D.

Also, that fractal pie plate is the end-all be-all in wall hangings. And the same guy who did these two pie projects also created this, which is also so delightfully useless as to further inspire awe.

[this is good]
posted by Mayor West at 10:51 AM on December 1, 2006

Oh man...this is genius!
posted by dejah420 at 11:38 AM on December 1, 2006

the filling recipie was based on a previous attempt which averaged the ingredients of 5 different pecan pie recipies from the web. this assumption of local linearity in the space of pies seemed to work out well.

I'm pretty geeky - I'm sure a lot of us here are. But I can't imagine myself ever averaging five pie recipes and referring to what I did as assuming local linearity in the space of pies. I am awed, and turkey tek is my hero.

However, I would to see him offer at least a theoretical solution the fair cutting problem for the fractal pie - unlike with a circular pie, I believe it's non-trivial.
posted by pinespree at 12:17 PM on December 1, 2006

... from 20 triangular sub-pie modules ...

Ummmm .... sub-pie modules.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 2:48 PM on December 1, 2006

from the comments in the first link:
...it is inextricably interrelated with its dual, the doughdecahedron.

Yep. I laughed.
posted by tim_in_oz at 8:47 PM on December 1, 2006