Inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, an MIT team has designed a technique that could transform flat panels into medical devices, habitats, and other objects without the use of tools.

“Top-down” diamond patterning methods, such as reactive ion etching, are difficult given the material’s chemical inertness.

Social design uses systems design, critical thinking, and imagination to move people to become more resilient and resourceful. It’s a balance of the academic and practical. Social design is a practice ...