In Rothemund’s method, a long strand of DNA snakes back and forth until it forms a desired shape. The key to getting the DNA to form this way, and to holding it in place, are short “staples” of DNA ...

Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. One uncut square of paper can, in the hands of an origami artist, be folded into a bird, a frog, a sailboat, or a Japanese samurai helmet beetle.