In the back of a classroom, at a desk strewn with a colorful palette of commingled notebooks and skeins of yarn, sits Ephraim Ruttenberg ’25, mathematics. His fingers nimbly and nearly subconsciously manipulate a crochet hook while his ears eagerly take in a lecture on differential equations—one of his favorite subjects. Ruttenberg loves unraveling the principles behind complex theorems, and he’s eagerly extended that passion from mathematics to crochet. 

Ruttenberg’s first love is math—he only picked up crochet in 2023 after seeing a math YouTuber explaining concepts with crocheted models of mathematical forms. But Ruttenberg’s math-themed crochet, where he creates intricate 3D shapes that bring abstract ideas into the physical world, has quickly become an important part of his life.

“Anything creative and artistic very much appeals to me, and I’m very inspired by what other people can make. Art seems to be a core part of the human experience,” Ruttenberg says. In particular, he says, “I like visual art. And this is the most fun and success I’ve had with making visual art.”  

Klein bottles and sea slugs

Although Ruttenberg’s primary motivation for pursuing crochet is as a hobby distinct from mathematics, as something to do with his hands while his mind chews on other things and simply as a way to create beautiful physical objects, he couldn’t help weaving in some math. He relies on a shape’s mathematical properties and reference images to translate them into crochet.

The shapes Ruttenberg creates include Klein bottles, single-sided surfaces reminiscent of Möbius strips closed up on themselves. Ruttenberg created a Klein bottle that can be worn as a hat, and another creation stitches three Klein bottles together. He’s also constructed dozens of what are called saddle surfaces, which are examples of “curved space” and look a lot like a brain coral or a sea slug with all of their folds and convolutions. Ruttenberg used three complete skeins of yarn—that’s nine football fields in length—to stitch the largest of these, and the surface’s curvaceous outer edge measures 50 feet despite it only being about a foot across.

Through his creations, Ruttenberg is hoping to investigate some mathematical concepts “that haven’t been explored in physical reality,” he says. “Also, I would like to do some math about crochet,” he says, such as how the physical properties of a crocheted object influence or define the pattern that describes it. In addition to the math, though, crochet for Ruttenberg is also “a creative, artistic pursuit.”  

The beauty of patterns

Ruttenberg doesn’t use traditional crochet patterns for his work, choosing instead to invent his own shorthand notation for various stitches. “Because I like to make it up as I go along, it’s a little more satisfying to me,” he says. In fact, the symbols for stitches in crochet patterns echo the symbols and patterns in mathematics that he enjoys. “I was always interested in the aesthetics and visuals of math; all the symbols and things were sort of fascinating to me,” he shares.

This eye for patterns extends to Ruttenberg’s other interests and hobbies, like word games and juggling. “I love English spelling. I think the confluence of different languages is super cool. It makes patterns that I find very aesthetically pleasing,” he says. Ruttenberg is a Scrabble aficionado and typically has an online game going with friends.

Even mathematics has its own language to absorb. While the discipline’s lingo may puzzle non-mathematicians, “Something that I love about mathematics is all the different words, and all the jargon,” Ruttenberg says. “I love that math co-opts all these normal words for very technical things,” he says, like “ring” or “flag.”

With juggling, “There’s some math in there if you get into complicated patterns,” he says. “It’s all about permutations, and ‘How long does this ball stay in the air?’, and all that.”

Threading math joy throughout life

Ruttenberg is selling a few of his creations on Etsy, and he takes time to share his passion for mathematics in other ways. He tutors students from elementary school through college. 

“I like the puzzle of teaching someone something, especially if they already have a misconception of the material that’s not serving them,” Ruttenberg says. “That, I find, is a cool puzzle—what’s the core of the misunderstanding here, and how can we give them a better way of thinking about it?”

Justin Webster, associate professor of mathematics and Ruttenberg’s academic advisor, quickly noted his mathematical talent and willingness to help others when Ruttenberg was in one of his courses. Ruttenberg is the president of UMBC’s chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, which serves as UMBC’s math club. Pi Mu Epsilon hosts events for students and participates in outreach at local middle and high schools.

At these events, “Ephraim’s crochet work always steals the show,” Webster says. “The students are perplexed and engaged by his work. It is wonderful to have something which is both visual and tactile to engage the younger students.”

In part as a result of Webster’s mentoring, Ruttenberg plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduating from UMBC. Exactly what he’ll study is uncertain. “Ephraim’s interests are very broad. And, like him, they are unique,” Webster says. “There is a certain amount of intellectual confidence that he has, which is rare.”

Ruttenberg will carry that confidence paired with generosity as he moves forward, melding his artistic and mathematical instincts in the world as he perceives it—a world where abstract theorems collide with soft fibers, and the geometry of a sphere meets the warmth of scarves. His work proves that equations need not be confined to dusty textbooks; they can be stitched into existence, one loop at a time.

Data from NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite, which will provide insight into ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate, are now available. The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite launched on February 8, and after several subsequent weeks of testing of the spacecraft and instruments, the mission is gathering data that the public can access.

PACE includes three instruments: The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), built at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, observes the ocean, land, and atmosphere across more than 200 unique wavelengths spanning ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared light. It is particularly suited to identifying phytoplankton communities in the ocean. 

HARP2, designed and built by UMBC scientists and engineers, and SPEXOne, built at the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and Airbus Netherlands B.V., are both polarimeters, which measure light that has reflected off clouds and particles in the atmosphere. These particles, known as aerosols, can range from dust to smoke to sea spray and more.

“First light,” as the first data received from satellites in orbit is known, is a key milestone in the progression of any scientific instrument destined for space.

“To me, first light means the conclusion of all the engineering work to develop HARP2 and the beginning of our science quest exploring and understanding the data from PACE,” shares Vanderlei Martins, professor of physics at UMBC and lead of the HARP2 team.  “First light means  ‘It is working!’ and the question right after first light is, ‘What does it mean?’”

Answering big questions about Earth’s interrelated systems

With data from PACE’s polarimeters, scientists will be able to measure cloud properties and monitor, analyze, and identify atmospheric aerosols to better inform the public about air quality. Scientists will also be able to learn how aerosols interact with clouds and impact cloud formation, which is essential to creating accurate climate models.

The HARP2 team will focus on air pollution, the effect of aerosols produced by humans on cloud formation, and the energy balance of the planet, Martins says. “We will learn about the type of aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere: What they look like in terms of size and shape matters in terms of their health effects,” he says. “The way they absorb and scatter light affects how they interact with solar radiation and influence the energy balance of the planet: Do they produce heating or cooling of the planet, and in which circumstances?”

“I have plans to use PACE aerosol and ocean products to better understand how nutrient-rich aerosols are deposited into the global ocean and how ocean plankton communities respond to this nutrient source,” adds Lorraine Remer, a UMBC climate researcher affiliated with the Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research Center II, one of UMBC’s NASA-partnered research centers.

First, though, “We will spend the next weeks and months tuning our parameters to coax out the most and best possible information on aerosols and clouds,” Remer says. “Then, the next step is to compare PACE’s output with established sensors on the ground.” A validation experiment in September 2024 called PACE-PAX will enable and encourage those comparisons.

PACE lets scientists put on “magical eye glasses”

Because of the power and unique capabilities of the instruments on PACE, “We see confident atmospheric parameters that have never been seen from any previous NASA mission,” Remer says. And because the data will be completely public, the benefits will go far beyond work that current PACE scientists will do.

“PACE data will be free for everyone around the globe and will be useful for decades to come,” Martins says. “Events on Earth will come and go, and they will be recorded forever by the PACE sensors. Beyond our own science studying aerosols, clouds, and the energy balance of the planet, this data will be explored by students and scientists for all sorts of applications that I can’t even imagine.” 

Martins expects UMBC scientists to write proposals to analyze PACE data for many years, and many of these projects will involve opportunities for students at all levels to gain experience with research. For now, PACE scientists are still relishing the successful launch and return of first light from the PACE instruments.

“When I look at the first light PACE images,” Remer says, “I feel like I have put on magical eye glasses and am seeing the true characteristics of aerosol plumes from a satellite for the first time.”

Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist, shepherded the project from start to finish, beginning when Martins pitched him the idea of including a HARP2-like instrument on board. “We’ve been dreaming of PACE-like imagery for over two decades. It’s surreal to finally see the real thing,” he says. “The data from all three instruments is of such high quality that we can start distributing it publicly less than two months from launch, and I’m proud of our team for making that happen.”

Dear Retrievers & Valued Riders,

We're excited to bring you another update on our Bus GPS Trackers Project. This final venture will enhance your transit experience by providing real-time bus locations and accurate arrival times. We're in the final integration stage with Google Maps and the Transit App.

We're thrilled to announce the successful completion of tracker data and onboarding, a significant milestone in our project's journey. Despite the complexities that often accompany such endeavors, we've validated the Data and GTFS, albeit slightly adjusting our initial timeline. We're now on track to go live by the 19th of April.

As we work towards finalizing the integration process with Google Maps and the Transit App, we sincerely thank you for your patience and understanding. Your support is invaluable to us.

Here's a recap of our recent progress:

• Data Validation: Our partners at Swiftly are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our transit system's data. This meticulous process is crucial in addressing previous issues and providing a seamless experience for our riders.

• Integration with Google Maps and the Transit App: We're in the final stages of integration, and our partners are standing by to implement the enhancements that will elevate your transit experience.

As we prepare for the upcoming launch, we remain grateful for your ongoing support and engagement. Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping this project, and we're committed to delivering a service that meets your expectations.

Stay tuned for further updates as we approach the launch date in the Transit App and Google Maps. For now, you can track all your buses via Swiftly platform ~ here. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at 410-455-2454 or via email at transit@umbc.edu.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to enhance your transit experience.

Safe Travels,

The Transit Team