Aurelie Moya receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation ...

Let's think of a paper sheet. If we tried to stiffen it from its primary state, it couldn't support its own weight. However, if we bend it, the sheet achieves a new structural quality. The shells act ...