Parting Ways

89. Back to Home Base

Parting Ways

At the end of the three bike paths (see "Puzzling Pathways"), you come to two signs. One sign says "Spaceship Earth" and points to a giant-size soccer ball. It's even larger than the space capsule that you have been riding in.

"That's it!" says Anita, pointing to Spaceship Earth. "That's the taxi that brought us here. It goes back and forth between here and Earth, kind of like a ferryboat. It will take us home!"

You begin to feel a little homesick, as Bill wanders over to check out the other sign.

"Wow!" he exclaims. "This sign says 'Buckyball Field!'" Then you realize that the sign is pointing to a grassy field where two teams of kids are playing soccer. One team has black shirts, and the other team has white shirts, like the ones that Anita and Bill are wearing (see "The Buckyball Asteroid").

"I think our team needs us," says Bill, just as the black team scores a goal. "Want to join us?" he asks you.

Feeling too tired to play soccer or even watch the game, you gaze over at Spaceship Earth,

"If you would rather go home, I'm sure that Spaceship Earth will take you," says Anita. "It's a lot like your space capsule. Check it out inside."

"Are you sure you don't want to play just a little bit?" asks Bill.

You can't wait to get home, though, so you bid farewell to your two new friends and head over to Spaceship Earth.

Planet Earth

"THIRTEEN!" blasts a voice from Spaceship Earth. Inside, it looks a lot like the space capsule you have been riding in, only bigger (see "A Consequential Countdown").

"TWENTY-ONE!" it says. You know what the next number will be, of course (see "A Special Sequence").

"THIRTY-FOUR!" You start to realize that the giant soccer ball is sailing through space! Looking out the window, you recognize Earth. You get closer and closer, and a loud motor sounds.

"FIFTY-FIVE!" Suddenly all is peaceful.

You find yourself lying on your bed, looking up at the ceiling (see "A Consequential Countdown"). You sit up and find that your room is no longer a space capsule. It's no longer a mess, either! All of your stuff is neatly put away!

You gaze around and look at the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, and remember when they had holes that brought you into the fourth dimension (see "Hyperspace Hangout").

You think of the tiling pattern on your bathroom floor and realize that its pattern of octagons and squares is like Octagon Square on the Planet of the Shapes (see "The Planet of the Shapes").

You pick up your old soccer ball and start counting the number of pentagons on its surface (see "The Amazing Buckyball").

Through the doorway you begin to sense the delicious aroma of apple pie. You think of apples and remind yourself of the five-fold rotational symmetry at its core (see "Sorting Patterns").

A slice through the core of an apple reveals that the seeds are arranged into five compartments, which have five-fold rotational symmetry.

You recall the first few digits of pi and wonder if you will ever see the Digits again (see "Pi in the Sky").

Your brain is buzzing with questions. Will you ever get to go back into space? What's the difference between "outer" space and physical space and mathematical space?

There is a knock at your door. "Come in," you say, wondering if the Digits may be visiting, or if Anita and Bill are returning.

Your mother opens the door, and you realize you really are back in mundane, earthly reality.

"Great job getting your room in order," she says. "Come and join us for a pie feast!" (or did she say "pi" feast?).

Adapted from Math Trek 2: A Mathematical Space Odyssey by Ivars Peterson and Nancy Henderson (see "A Mathematical Space Odyssey"). Online Bibliography.