Twenty five years ago, physicist Robert Lang worked at NASA, where he researched lasers. He has also garnered 46 patents on optoelectronics and even wrote a Ph.D. thesis called “Semiconductor Lasers: New Geometries and Spectral Properties.” But in 2001, Lang left his job in order to pursue a passion he’s had since childhood: origami. In the origami world, Lang is now a legend, and it’s not just his eye-catching, intricate designs that have taken the craft by storm. Some of his work has helped pioneer new ways of applying origami principles to complex real-world engineering problems.

…just two examples: air-bag design and expandable space telescopes. Lang is a leader in integrating mathematics, science, and technology into the ancient art, as seen in this Great Big Story vid – A Fold Apart: Origamist Robert Lang’s Incredible Paper Creations.