Mathematicians find way to put 7 cylinders in contact without using their ends
This is going to sound like trolling, but it's not - I'm honestly curious.<p>Why is this important? Is it just cool, or is there some real world application? Was someone paying for this research for some reason, or was it just a mathematician's hobby?<p>EDIT: For the record, I don't have any problem with "just cool" research. I do that kind of research often (albeit, not as smart), and totally understand the value in it. Just wondering if this had an application immediately.