▁three ▁from ▁pl astic . ▁The ▁pl astic ▁works ▁are ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁Great ▁Pacific ▁Gar bage ▁P atch , ▁a ▁gig antic ▁gy re ▁of ▁pl astic ▁de br is ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁Mos ley ▁Snow f la ke ▁S pon ge ▁project ▁▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁and ▁working ▁with ▁Je ann ine ▁Mos ely , ▁a ▁software ▁engineer ▁and ▁orig ami ▁artist , ▁Margaret ▁W ert heim ▁cur ated ▁a ▁project ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁giant ▁model ▁of ▁a ▁f ract al , ▁constructed ▁from ▁ 4 8 , 9 1 2 ▁business ▁cards . ▁Prof ess ors , ▁li br ari ans , ▁local ▁artists , ▁school ▁students , ▁and ▁hundreds ▁of ▁US C ▁students ▁all ▁participated ▁in ▁over ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁hours ▁of ▁work ▁to ▁complete ▁this ▁object . ▁ ▁Disc over ed ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Mos ely ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁Mos ely ▁Snow f la ke ▁is ▁a ▁cousin ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁Men ger ▁S pon ge , ▁the ▁first ▁three - dimensional ▁f ract al ▁known ▁to ▁mathemat icians ▁which ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁by ▁Karl ▁Men ger ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁The ▁Mos ely ▁Snow f la ke ▁S pon ge ▁at ▁US C ▁was ▁the ▁first - ever ▁instanti ation ▁of ▁this ▁new ▁f ract al ▁form , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁reprodu ced ▁by ▁other ▁groups ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁including ▁in ▁Mad agas car