When we say “kočkopes” in Czech, literally “cat-dog”, we mean that the thing we are talking about is neither fish nor fowl, and we probably have in mind the connection of something which is incompatible. The Bakalářův kočkopes also combines hobbies and work, mathematics and art, as well as two colleagues from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The result, on the other hand, is no "cat-dog", but beautiful animated videos that help bring mathematics closer to users on social networks.

Tomáš Profant adores Walt Disney and can draw really well. Petr Hájek loves music, composes and plays in a band. However, they do neither of these for a living. They work as teachers and researchers at the Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. In addition to their work and hobbies, they have now added their own project, the aim of which is short animated videos about mathematics.

"We both work with students, and we see how their level of education at a technical school is closely linked to their knowledge of mathematics. Mathematics is often too abstract for them, but in mechanics, we have the opportunity to show it in context. That's how the idea of showing students some topics in a form that is digestible for them – through a video on social networks – was born," explains Tomáš Profant.

"Tomáš can draw very nice pictures, so he thought of making a kind of picture textbook of mathematics. But then we realised that videos would be a much more acceptable form for today's students. We don't have the ambition to make textbooks, but rather stories of a few seconds’ length, where we explain a topic or phenomenon in an easy and digestible way. There will be a few equations, pictures and music. We think this could work," adds Petr Hájek.

Tomáš Profant already has experience with textbooks, or rather with their illustrations. In addition, he has also created a comic book and a cartoon exhibition about the work of physicist Richard Feynman for the Technical Museum in Brno.

"We want to be kind of mediators and to make sense of mathematical expressions via mechanics. We take only a small part of mathematics that we can geometrically and practically interpret. Our aim is mainly to attract attention, and then there is a lot of professional literature where you can study the topic," says Profant.

Their intention has not yet been slowed down by the fact that it is a completely unknown way of creating for them, which also brings mistakes and technical problems. "It turned out that even a few seconds of video is a very time-consuming process. And yet we choose the easiest way in terms of animation," confirms Profant. "We don’t know how to make videos, how to make music and how to put it all together. So it's quite a challenge," agrees Hájek with a smile.

In the process of creation, Petr Hájek concentrates on sound. He makes music for the videos, but also noises, which, together with the movements, breathe life into the cartoon characters. "I'm always looking for what sounds good. I lock myself in the band's rehearsal room or at home in my room, trying to record different sounds. For example, we need the sound of writing with a pencil on paper – but when you record the real sound of writing on paper, it doesn't sound like it should at all! In the end, the sound works best when I move an empty wasp's nest on paper. I make the sound of blinking by clinking my fingernail on a metal teacup. Or we use the sound of an anthill. So I record strange sounds, I record some with my mouth, and some are generated by the guitar," says Hájek.

They have already presented the first videos, and others are in progress. "One day, we would like to publish a small book, but that is a question for the future. When something looks like a long run, in my experience, it is best to proceed step by step, and only this way great things can be achieved," believes Profant, who is said to be paying off a debt to his own talent with the project. "I've always been good at painting. Even my friends told me that it was a pity that I didn't devote more time to it, that I had talent. But I never wanted to be a professional artist. I've always been crazy about mathematics and mechanics. I'm such a split personality, so I'd like to somehow repay that I was endowed with the gift of drawing nicely," concludes Profant.