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Who said math can’t be interesting? Fractals like these can seem too perfect to be true, but they occur in nature and plants all the time and are examples of math, physics, and natural selection at work!

When we see order in the world, we think it must be some human hand that made it so. But Galileo Galilei in his Il Saggiatore wrote, “[The universe] is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures.” There is order in nature, and artists who want to reproduce it faithfully spend hours studying nature’s forms.

Civilization has struggled to understand this perfect geometry for thousands of years. In the 4th century, Plato believed that symmetry in nature was proof of universal forms; in 1952, the famous code-breaker Alan Turing wrote a book trying to explain how such patterns in nature could be formed.

Now you can join in the debate. Upvote your favorite photo from the list, or upload your own!

#1

Aloe Polyphylla

Aloe Polyphylla

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VilémRein
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Almost all of the pictures contain spirals of leaves or flowers. The spirals are mathematically described as Fibbonaci spirals and these are formed due to specific angels in which new organs are formed at the border region of the shoot apical meristem of the plant. The angle is given by the genotype and the places where are the primordia of the new organs formed are characterized by formation of a local high concentration of the plant hormone auxin. And because the plant maintains the shoot apical meristem throughout its life, there are new structures also in old plants formed in this regular shape (the only precondition is there is no damage close to the apical meristem.

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#5

Dahlia

Dahlia

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#8

Hoya Aldrichii

Hoya Aldrichii

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#13

Thinking Cactus

Thinking Cactus

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#14

Viola Sacculus

Viola Sacculus

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VilémRein
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, this was for me a new plant, I have never seen it before. For me a wonderful plant. Will immediately look for more info, about this miracle...

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#15

Ludwigia Sedioides

Ludwigia Sedioides

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#16

Lobelia

Lobelia

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#21

Hoya Pubicalyx

Hoya Pubicalyx

Botanical Wonderland Report

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#22

Alstroemeria Pelegrina

Alstroemeria Pelegrina

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#24

Spiral Begonia

Spiral Begonia

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#25

Aeonium Tabuliforme

Aeonium Tabuliforme

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#26

Fractal Cabbage

Fractal Cabbage

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#27

Echinacea

Echinacea

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#30

Pinecone

Pinecone

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Dragons Exist
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've always liked pinecones when they're brown but before they open up

#31

Fearful Symmetry

Fearful Symmetry

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MaryAliceLynch
Community Member
9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the colors and the symetry. I like this one the best so far.

#32

Agave~tequila Plant

Agave~tequila Plant

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#33

Silversword

Silversword

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#34

Agave Angustifolia

Agave Angustifolia

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#35

Planta Mosaico - Ludwigia Sedioides

Planta Mosaico - Ludwigia Sedioides

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#36

Gerbera

Gerbera

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#37

Purple Fractal Cabbage

Purple Fractal Cabbage

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#38

B&w Dahlia

B&w Dahlia

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#39

Unfurling Tree Fern Frond, Madeira

Unfurling Tree Fern Frond, Madeira

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#40

Monstera Fruit

Monstera Fruit

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#42

(another) Sunflover Mandala

(another) Sunflover Mandala

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#43

Colorful Cacti

Colorful Cacti

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#45

Mandala

Mandala

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#46

Mimosa

Mimosa

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#47

Pinecone

Pinecone

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#49

Detail Of A Fern

Detail Of A Fern

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#52

Suculent

Suculent

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#53

Water Forget-me-not

Water Forget-me-not

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#55

King Protea - Maui

King Protea - Maui

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#56

Geometric Leave.

Geometric Leave.

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#57

Magnolia

Magnolia

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#59

Arjareka Gibson- 7th Period

Arjareka Gibson- 7th Period

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#60

Oriental Lily

Oriental Lily

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#61

Spiney Cactus

Spiney Cactus

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#62

White Malaysian Mums

White Malaysian Mums

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#63

Pine Candle

Pine Candle

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#64

Phillip Nguyen Pd.3

Phillip Nguyen Pd.3

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#65

Fractal Broccoli

Fractal Broccoli

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#66

Farjana Kshuhboo

Farjana Kshuhboo

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#67

Farjana Kshuhboo P3

Farjana Kshuhboo P3

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#69

Camelia

Camelia

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#70

Barrel Cactus

Barrel Cactus

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#71

Apple Core Cross Section

Apple Core Cross Section

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#72

A Strange Flower

A Strange Flower

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#73

Moss On The Cobble Stones

Moss On The Cobble Stones

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#74

Fuzzy

Fuzzy

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#76

Maria Iniguez

Maria Iniguez

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#77

Thissle

Thissle

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#78

Perception By Malinda Ratliff

Perception By Malinda Ratliff

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#79

Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly

Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly

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#80

Camelia2

Camelia2

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#82

Water Lily, Shot At Gutty Meusium.

Water Lily, Shot At Gutty Meusium.

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#83

Geometric Flower.

Geometric Flower.

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#84

Little Star

Little Star

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#85

Lilac

Lilac

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#86

Black Hollyhock

Black Hollyhock

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#87

Flower

Flower

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#88

Common Dandelion

Common Dandelion

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#90

Rose From Ariana

Rose From Ariana

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#91

Phillip Nguyen Pd3 Got Emm

Phillip Nguyen Pd3 Got Emm

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#92

Young Lily Before Blooming

Young Lily Before Blooming

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#93

Maria Iniguez

Maria Iniguez

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#94

Heal All

Heal All

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#95

Thistle

Thistle

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#96

Colorado Columbine

Colorado Columbine

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#97

Columbine

Columbine

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#98

King Protea - Maui

King Protea - Maui

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#100

Nature At Its Best

Nature At Its Best

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#101

Sunflower

Sunflower

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#102

Tulip

Tulip

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#103

A Bruce, - Following The Sun's Path ?

A Bruce, - Following The Sun's Path ?

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#104

From My Garden

From My Garden

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#105

Sunflower

Sunflower

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#107

Purple

Purple

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#108

Mums

Mums

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#109

Phillip Nguyen Period 3

Phillip Nguyen Period 3

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#112

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