ADVERTISEMENT

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

namraka Report

Add photo comments
POST
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.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Dahlia

Dahlia

amazon2008 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#8

Hoya Aldrichii

Hoya Aldrichii

John Tann Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#13

Thinking Cactus

Thinking Cactus

gigingir Report

#14

Viola Sacculus

Viola Sacculus

brcotte2007 Report

Add photo comments
POST
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...

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#15

Ludwigia Sedioides

Ludwigia Sedioides

Donna Falcone Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Lobelia

Lobelia

George F. Mobley Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#21

Hoya Pubicalyx

Hoya Pubicalyx

Botanical Wonderland Report

Add photo comments
POST
#22

Alstroemeria Pelegrina

Alstroemeria Pelegrina

Florencia & Juan Report

Add photo comments
POST
#24

Spiral Begonia

Spiral Begonia

elsewhereincuenca2.blogspot.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#25

Aeonium Tabuliforme

Aeonium Tabuliforme

David Szalay Report

#26

Fractal Cabbage

Fractal Cabbage

lumiparta Report

Add photo comments
POST
#27

Echinacea

Echinacea

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#30

Pinecone

Pinecone

Report

Add photo comments
POST
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

500px.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
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

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#33

Silversword

Silversword

500px.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
#34

Agave Angustifolia

Agave Angustifolia

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#35

Planta Mosaico - Ludwigia Sedioides

Planta Mosaico - Ludwigia Sedioides

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#36

Gerbera

Gerbera

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#37

Purple Fractal Cabbage

Purple Fractal Cabbage

media.bridgesandballoons.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
#38

B&w Dahlia

B&w Dahlia

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#39

Unfurling Tree Fern Frond, Madeira

Unfurling Tree Fern Frond, Madeira

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#40

Monstera Fruit

Monstera Fruit

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#42

(another) Sunflover Mandala

(another) Sunflover Mandala

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#43

Colorful Cacti

Colorful Cacti

susanbaileyphoto.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
#45

Mandala

Mandala

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#46

Mimosa

Mimosa

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#47

Pinecone

Pinecone

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#49

Detail Of A Fern

Detail Of A Fern

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#52

Suculent

Suculent

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#53

Water Forget-me-not

Water Forget-me-not

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#55

King Protea - Maui

King Protea - Maui

Report

#56

Geometric Leave.

Geometric Leave.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#57

Magnolia

Magnolia

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#59

Arjareka Gibson- 7th Period

Arjareka Gibson- 7th Period

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#60

Oriental Lily

Oriental Lily

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#61

Spiney Cactus

Spiney Cactus

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#62

White Malaysian Mums

White Malaysian Mums

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#63

Pine Candle

Pine Candle

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#64

Phillip Nguyen Pd.3

Phillip Nguyen Pd.3

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#65

Fractal Broccoli

Fractal Broccoli

en.wikipedia.org Report

Add photo comments
POST
#66

Farjana Kshuhboo

Farjana Kshuhboo

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#67

Farjana Kshuhboo P3

Farjana Kshuhboo P3

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#69

Camelia

Camelia

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#70

Barrel Cactus

Barrel Cactus

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#71

Apple Core Cross Section

Apple Core Cross Section

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#72

A Strange Flower

A Strange Flower

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#73

Moss On The Cobble Stones

Moss On The Cobble Stones

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#74

Fuzzy

Fuzzy

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#76

Maria Iniguez

Maria Iniguez

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#77

Thissle

Thissle

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#78

Perception By Malinda Ratliff

Perception By Malinda Ratliff

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#79

Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly

Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly

Report

#80

Camelia2

Camelia2

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#82

Water Lily, Shot At Gutty Meusium.

Water Lily, Shot At Gutty Meusium.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#83

Geometric Flower.

Geometric Flower.

Report

#84

Little Star

Little Star

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#85

Lilac

Lilac

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#86

Black Hollyhock

Black Hollyhock

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#87

Flower

Flower

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#88

Common Dandelion

Common Dandelion

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#90

Rose From Ariana

Rose From Ariana

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#91

Phillip Nguyen Pd3 Got Emm

Phillip Nguyen Pd3 Got Emm

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#92

Young Lily Before Blooming

Young Lily Before Blooming

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#93

Maria Iniguez

Maria Iniguez

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#94

Heal All

Heal All

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#95

Thistle

Thistle

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#96

Colorado Columbine

Colorado Columbine

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#97

Columbine

Columbine

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#98

King Protea - Maui

King Protea - Maui

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#100

Nature At Its Best

Nature At Its Best

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#101

Sunflower

Sunflower

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#102

Tulip

Tulip

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#103

A Bruce, - Following The Sun's Path ?

A Bruce, - Following The Sun's Path ?

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#104

From My Garden

From My Garden

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#105

Sunflower

Sunflower

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#107

Purple

Purple

Report

#108

Mums

Mums

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#109

Phillip Nguyen Period 3

Phillip Nguyen Period 3

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#112

This submission is hidden. Click here to view.