Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 25 minutes ago
A stylised geometric representation of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, that we're told causes COVID-19 disease in susceptible individuals: ie mainly the elderly and the otherwise immunocompromised.
Construction Notes:
This was made entirely from 5mm diameter neodymium magnetic balls. The magnet model uses my 2 layer thick expanded sphere design of 3780 balls:
youtu.be/cZuElEtqvn0
To this I have added 80 projections, 7 for the reinforced base and 73 smaller ones of 48 magnets each, to hexagon rings on the surface of the sphere. Decorated with yellow gold, these represent the glycoprotein spikes that crown the virus and give it its name (corona meaning crown-like).
There are also 69 nodules of 3 rose gold balls each added to the surface of the sphere to represent what are called membrane glycoproteins.
I had to build a large strong base of 7 nickel legs to hold up the complete structure. And I'd like to thank and acknowledge my flatmate's girlfriend Jane for the suggestion of a vertical internal pillar that continues through the envelope all the way to the top of the inside of the large sphere. This was the key to making this large shape work, as the sphere was collapsing under the weight of all its extra projections until I tried this.
A total magnet count of 3780 (sphere) + 48 × 73 (spikes) + 6 × 126 + 162 (base) + 29 × 18 (internal pillar) + 207 (nodules) = 8931 neodymium magnetic balls (5mm diameter).
(This total includes 73 × 6 = 438 yellow gold, and 3 × 69 = 207 rose gold balls.)
The diameter of the completed model is close to 18 cm, which with the reported diameter of the actual virus being 120 nanometers, gives a calculated scale of 1.5 million : 1.
Music track is I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie from the YouTube free music library.
#ledwatchman #Neocube #Neoballs #Nanodots #ZenMagnets #Speks #Buckyballs #NingoBalls #CyberCube #KlikyBalls #COVID19
I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Dr
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor
Artist: chriszabriskie.com
A stylised geometric representation of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, that we're told causes COVID-19 disease in susceptible individuals: ie mainly the elderly and the otherwise immunocompromised.
Construction Notes:
This was made entirely from 5mm diameter neodymium magnetic balls. The magnet model uses my 2 layer thick expanded sphere design of 3780 balls:
youtu.be/cZuElEtqvn0
To this I have added 80 projections, 7 for the reinforced base and 73 smaller ones of 48 magnets each, to hexagon rings on the surface of the sphere. Decorated with yellow gold, these represent the glycoprotein spikes that crown the virus and give it its name (corona meaning crown-like).
There are also 69 nodules of 3 rose gold balls each added to the surface of the sphere to represent what are called membrane glycoproteins.
I had to build a large strong base of 7 nickel legs to hold up the complete structure. And I'd like to thank and acknowledge my flatmate's girlfriend Jane for the suggestion of a vertical internal pillar that continues through the envelope all the way to the top of the inside of the large sphere. This was the key to making this large shape work, as the sphere was collapsing under the weight of all its extra projections until I tried this.
A total magnet count of 3780 (sphere) + 48 × 73 (spikes) + 6 × 126 + 162 (base) + 29 × 18 (internal pillar) + 207 (nodules) = 8931 neodymium magnetic balls (5mm diameter).
(This total includes 73 × 6 = 438 yellow gold, and 3 × 69 = 207 rose gold balls.)
The diameter of the completed model is close to 18 cm, which with the reported diameter of the actual virus being 120 nanometers, gives a calculated scale of 1.5 million : 1.
Music track is I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie from the YouTube free music library.
#ledwatchman #Neocube #Neoballs #Nanodots #ZenMagnets #Speks #Buckyballs #NingoBalls #CyberCube #KlikyBalls #COVID19
I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Dr
Source: chriszabriskie.com/honor
Artist: chriszabriskie.com
