Certain types of large ring-shaped molecules or 'cyclic polymers' can be made in the laboratory. These molecules have some fascinating and unexpected properties, suggesting some useful applications. For example silicon polymers are used as lubricating oils. Cyclic versions of the polymers freeze at lower temperatures than linear ones of the same mass. So if you were on an expedition to the Antarctic you might find some cyclic polymers being used to stop your vehicle freezing up.
When chemists worked out how to form ring molecules, they also realised that they could make a special set of ring molecules that had the same shape as a moebius strip. What is special about their shape?
Moebius molecules are made from a loop with a single half twist in it this means that the loop only has one side and that's what gives it its special properties. Try out some Moebius magic by following the instructions below.
The
Moebius strip has been used in artwork by M.C.Escher. For more pictures
by this artist click here
Now you have got your head round a one sided strip, try a one surface solid. The Klein bottle is named after Felix Kline 1849-1925 and is like a solid Moebius strip. It can be constructed by gluing together the two ends of a cylindrical tube with a twist. Unfortunately this can't be done in 3-dimensional space. Just like the twist in the Moebius strip means the strip won't lie flat (2D) you need a 'twist' in the fourth dimension to make a 'real' Klein bottle & we can't do that.
The best
we can do is to pass one of the ends into the inside of the tube at the
other end (while inflating the tube at this second end) before gluing
the ends. The resulting bottle looks something like this: 
Can you trace a path around the whole object?
This is not a true
Klein bottle as the surfaces intersect, a true Klein bottle goes into
the fourth dimension. This sounds like something from Star Trek, but
you can get a simple way of looking at this see this site
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To finish off this section, another wonderful Escher picture based around a Moebius strip.
