ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Spherical tiling

Okay kiddo, have you ever played with puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly to make a big picture? Imagine doing that with round balls instead of flat pieces. That's what spherical tiling is!

Spherical tiling is when you use round balls, or spheres, to fill up all the space on a 3D shape called a sphere. It's like putting together a puzzle, but instead of just one flat surface, you have to fit the pieces on a round shape.

Scientists and mathematicians love spherical tiling because it helps them study patterns and shapes in nature and the universe. They can use it to study things like crystal structures, viruses, and even planets!

There are many different ways you can arrange the spheres on the sphere to make different patterns. Some patterns look like honeycombs, while others look like flowers or crystals. No matter what the pattern looks like, the important thing is that all the spheres fit together perfectly without any gaps or overlaps.

Plus, spherical tiling is really cool to look at because it creates these intricate and beautiful shapes that can be colored in different ways to make them look even more interesting.

So there you have it, spherical tiling is like putting together a 3D puzzle on a round shape using round pieces called spheres. It's a way to study patterns in nature and the universe, and it can create really cool and beautiful shapes!