Penrose facts for kids

Penrose is a name that can mean many different things! It's used for places, people, and even some interesting ideas and objects.

Places Called Penrose

Many towns and areas around the world are named Penrose. Here are a few examples:

• In the United States, you can find places like Penrose, Colorado, a town, and neighborhoods in Penrose, Arlington, Virginia and Penrose, Philadelphia.
• In England, there's Penrose, Cornwall, which is a country house and a large estate. There's also a small village called Penrose, St Ervan in north Cornwall.
• Down in New Zealand, there's a suburb of Auckland called Penrose, New Zealand.
• And in Australia, you can find Penrose, New South Wales (Wingecarribee) and Penrose, New South Wales (Wollongong).

People Named Penrose

Many notable people have carried the name Penrose. Here are some of them:

Roger Penrose: A Famous Thinker

Roger Penrose (born 1931) is a very famous English mathematical physicist. He is known for his important work in physics and mathematics. He even has several interesting concepts named after him:

• Penrose diagram: This is a special two-dimensional drawing that helps scientists understand how space and time are connected, especially around black holes.
• Penrose tiling: Imagine covering a floor with tiles, but in a way that the pattern never repeats itself, even though it covers the whole area perfectly. That's a Penrose tiling!
• Penrose triangle: This is an impossible object. It looks like a triangle, but if you try to draw it in real life, you'll find it can't exist in three dimensions. It's an optical illusion!
• Penrose stairs: Like the triangle, these stairs are another impossible object. They appear to go up or down forever in a continuous loop, but they can't exist in reality.

Other Interesting Penrose Family Members

Roger Penrose comes from a family of talented people:

• His father, Lionel Penrose (1898–1972), was an English geneticist. He studied how traits are passed down through families.
• Roger's brother, Jonathan Penrose (born 1933), is an English chess grandmaster, which means he's one of the best chess players in the world!
• Another brother, Oliver Penrose (born 1929), is also a mathematician.
• Their uncle, Roland Penrose (1903–1984), was an English artist, a historian, and a poet.

Other Notable People Named Penrose

• Edith Penrose (1914–1996) was a British economist. Economists study how money, goods, and services are made and used.
• Emily Penrose (1858–1942) was an English principal at Somerville College, a famous part of Oxford University. She helped lead the college.
• Francis Penrose (1817–1903) was a British architect, an archaeologist (someone who studies old cultures), and an astronomer (someone who studies stars and planets).
• Spencer Penrose (1865–1939) was an American businessman who made a lot of money in mining. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes, and a hotel owner.
• Tricia Penrose (born 1970) is an English actress and singer.

Other Meanings of Penrose

The name Penrose is also used for a few other things:

• Penrose drain: This is a simple medical device that doctors sometimes use after surgery. It's a soft tube placed in a wound to help drain away any extra fluid.
• Penrose Medal: This is a very important award given by the Geological Society of America. It's given to people who have done amazing work to advance the study of geoscience, which is the study of Earth.
• Penrose effect: This is an idea in economics. It suggests that a company's growth might be limited by how well its managers can handle things.

See also

In Spanish: Penrose para niños