Daniel Smith, age 14, of Bowling Green, Ohio, for his question:

WHAT IS A GEODESIC DOME?

A geodesic dome is a strong, lightweight dome built on a framework of triangular shaped blocks. It has no internal supports.

Geodesic pertains to the geometry of curved surfaces, in which geodesic lines take the place of the straight lines of plane geometry.

American engineer and inventor Buckminster Fuller, (1895 1983), designed the geodesic dome. He gained international attention in 1927 by designing an all metal prefabricated home called a Dymaxion house. After World War II, he concentrated on designing larger, lightweight prefabricated enclosures that he called geodesic domes.

Fuller's designs show the influence of natural molecular structures.