It's hard to be truly unique in a town that boasts many unique art endeavors, but wonder twins Margaret Wertheim, a noted science writer, and Christine Wertheim, a poet and faculty member at CalArts' MFA Writing Program, have done just that. Their organization, the Institute for Figuring, blends equal portions of science, art and poetry to engage new audiences in hands-on projects. The Wertheims are best known for the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, in which literally thousands of crochet contributors helped to produce beautiful displays of coral reeflike objects, which then were exhibited all over the world. Previously a pop-up endeavor, the IFF now welcomes visitors of all ages to its new storefront in Chinatown, where, among other recent activities, you could take in a lecture on the Higgs Boson discovery or check out an exhibit of “outsider” theories of physics. 990 N. Hill St., #180, Chinatown. (323) 222-2111, theiff.org.

—Carol Cheh

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