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A student of origami for over forty years, Dr. Robert J. Lang’s background in physics has allowed him to push the art to new heights. Now, he is using this combination of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge technology to help advance the cause of forest carbon’s role in climate change mitigation.
Born in 1961, Lang first discovered origami at the age of six, when a teacher gave him an origami book to keep him entertained in the classroom. By his early teens, he was already creating original patterns, and he continued to practice origami even while pursuing a career in science.
Following the completion of both a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a PhD in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology, Lang worked as a physicist and engineer for many years, authoring or co-authoring more than 80 technical publications.
During this time, Lang also pioneered the synthesis of mathematics with origami; he used the application of origami design to help solve engineering problems ranging from air-bag design to expandable space telescopes. He has also presented several papers on origami-math at mathematical and computer science professional meetings. In 2001, Lang decided to devote himself to origami full-time. Today, he is recognized as one of the world’s leading origami masters, and is noted for his realistic, complex patterns. He has catalogued and diagrammed over 500 original designs, authored or co-authored nine books, and has lectured and exhibited work in museums and other events around the world.
Lang currently resides in Alamo, California.