# Toy Models and Model Toys: The Mathematics of Surprises and the Art of Modelling

- Institution: Gresham College
- Speaker: Professor Alain Goriely FRS
- Year: 2026
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Mathematics, Physics
- Source: [Gresham College](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/toys-maths)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

A cracking whip is invariably surprising. What generates such a stunning sound? In this lecture, through simple demonstrations of whips and chains on a pulley, Professor Goriely builds simple models to explain the extreme acceleration that takes place in the motion of ropes.In particular, he shows how these models have solutions that blow up to infinity and learns, like the dinosaurs did, how to tame these infinities to produce a stunning crack.

## Lectures

1. [Cracking the Whip: Strings, Chains and Dinosaurs](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-toys-maths/7e90af69a3ef) (Audio)