English

Penrose steps

Noun

Penrose steps ‎(plural Penrose steps)

1. An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to be one.
   • 2010 July 8, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, Inception (Movie):

     In a dream, you can cheat architecture into impossible shapes. That lets you create closed loops, like the Penrose Steps. The infinite staircase.

   • 2011 May 13, Islim, Amal A., Walking with the Vain Cattle: In the Womb of Life, the Plant of Miracle Is Ready to Blossom a White Flower, Bloomington: Balboa Press, ISBN 9781452533964, OL 25423082M:

     I'll have my heaven, / Where heaven is love and love is my heaven. / I just have to climb through those Penrose steps! / Till I find sky number seven.

   • 2012 April 16, Coley, Rob, Cloud Time, Alresford: Zero Books, ISBN 9781780990958, OL 25423081M, page 100:

     At this book's inception, when we came to, we found ourselves already traipsing around Penrose steps, already reactively enclosed in an unceasing loop.

Synonyms

• Penrose staircase
• Penrose stairs

Translations