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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

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    #8

    Hoya Aldrichii

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    #13

    Thinking Cactus

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    #14

    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

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    #16

    Lobelia

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    #21

    Hoya Pubicalyx

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    #22

    Alstroemeria Pelegrina

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    #24

    Spiral Begonia

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    #25

    Aeonium Tabuliforme

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    #26

    Fractal Cabbage

    Fractal Cabbage

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    #27

    Echinacea

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    #30

    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

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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

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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

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    #45

    Mandala

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    #46

    Mimosa

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    #47

    Pinecone

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    #49

    Detail Of A Fern

    Detail Of A Fern

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    #52

    Suculent

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    #53

    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

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    #59

    Arjareka Gibson- 7th Period

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    #60

    Oriental Lily

    Oriental Lily

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    #61

    Spiney Cactus

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    #62

    White Malaysian Mums

    White Malaysian Mums

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    #63

    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

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    #69

    Camelia

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    #70

    Barrel Cactus

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    #71

    Apple Core Cross Section

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    #72

    A Strange Flower

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    #73

    Moss On The Cobble Stones

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    #74

    Fuzzy

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    #76

    Maria Iniguez

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    #77

    Thissle

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    #78

    Perception By Malinda Ratliff

    Perception By Malinda Ratliff

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    #79

    Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly

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    #80

    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

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    #86

    Black Hollyhock

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    #87

    Flower

    Flower

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    #88

    Common Dandelion

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    #90

    Rose From Ariana

    Rose From Ariana

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    #91

    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

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    #94

    Heal All

    Heal All

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    #95

    Thistle

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    #96

    Colorado Columbine

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    #97

    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

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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

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    #107

    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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