Settlers of Catan’s board is based on hexagons.
Image: Catan Wikimedia Commons user Yonghokim, CC BY-SA 4.0

Calum is a lecturer in physics at Edge Hill University where he studies topological solitons and enjoys talking about maths and physics to anyone who will listen. He can often be found on the side of a mountain or out on a bike, talking to himself about solitons.
More from Chalkdust
Oπnions: In defence of toy models
Calum gets on his soap box about toy modelsMaths 100 Ideas in 100 Words
We review the sixth of this year’s nominees for Book of the YearCryptic wordsearch, Issue 19
Can you solve it?On the cover: skyrmions
Sven Bjarke Gudnason and Calum Ross introduce you to the wonderful world of skyrmionsTop Ten: Units of measurement
The definitive chart of the best unitsOn the cover: Chladni figures of a square drum
Find out more about the patterns on the cover of Issue 07