The Utah Teapot gets its first true update in 20 years, and it's all about smoother reflections
The official Utah Teapot page traces the model's evolution from Martin Newell's 28 Bézier patches in 1975 through Jim Blinn's famous 3/4 scaling, Frank Crow's round bottom, and Hank Driskill and Russ Fish's interior work. The 2026 version by Cem Yuksel adds curvature continuity for reflection continuity, chamfers at the handle and spout, and a lighter 62-patch interior, with every historical version free to download and customize.
Its extensive use in graphics prompted Arvo and Kirk [1987] to name it the "Teapotahedron" and jokingly call it "the sixth Platonic solid".
- EvanAnderson
I saw the Utah Teapot at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View when I visited in late 2004. I didn't know it was there. I immediately started calling friends, while standing there in the "Visible Storage" exhibit gawking at it, telling each of them, breathlessly: "I'm looking at _the_ Utah teapot."
I was told later by a docent that my reaction was not uncommon. >smile<
- apitman
I work at the University of Utah. They had an incredible graphics symposium a few years ago[0]. I got a render of the teapot signed by several of the speakers, which is a prized possession. There was another guy there with an actual replica teapot which he got signed. I was pretty jealous.
Sadly Alan Kay was unable to attend so I didn't get to meet him.
- dang
Related. Others?
The original Utah teapot(1.4L) is in stock - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31178947 - April 2022 (7 comments)
Why a Computer History Museum Owns a Legendary Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29259548 - Nov 2021 (1 comment)
Show HN: Teapong – A two-player game for fans of Pong and the Utah teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22137758 - Jan 2020 (12 comments)
Bézier Curves and Surfaces: The Utah Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19690575 - April 2019 (7 comments)
The Utah Teapot: Most Important Object in Computer Graphics History - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11209690 - March 2016 (52 comments)
Utah Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7280289 - Feb 2014 (17 comments)