Patterns in Nature

Patterns have so many uses in the natural world. Whether it’s related
to survival or structural integrity, patterns have developed over time to
become more and more useful due to evolution.
As creatures developed and changed over time, the patterns they
create and the patterns that they wear have become fitter and fitter for
their purposes. Whether it’s spinning a web in order to catch the most
flies, or if it’s having the best stripes to hide from predators or even
prey.
In this sense, evolution is similar to an algorithm. The most effective
patterns getting tested and either rejected or accepted over time. The
problem is, as prey adapts to hide from predators, predators must also
adapt in order to eat. In this case, nature is just like technology. The
best patterns and threads are brought forwards in so many different
ways, but as technology develops, specific human needs for
technology also change.

Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci sequence itself is found a lot in nature. It’s a natural
pattern of growth which is 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, etc… (every new number is
the sum of the two previous numbers). While a lot of natural patterns
occur, the Fibonacci sequence is seen a lot in nature, whether it’s with
the Golden Ratio, or if it’s separate to it.
The sequence originates from a thought experiment about immortal
rabbits. If two rabbits are in a field, are immortal, and mate once a
month, having two offspring per pair, then the growth of population is
the fibonacci sequence. It starts off with one pair, then there is still one
pair the next month, then there are two pairs, then three, then five,
then eight, etc.
It is mostly seen in nature with petals. The number of petals on a
flower is usually a Fibonacci number. The applications of the
Fibonacci sequence can be seen with the Golden Ratio.
Golden Ratio
The most common thing you’ll hear about in nature is the Golden
Ratio. It stretches from a spiral on the back of a shell, to architecture,
to art, to photography, to flower petals, to pinecones, and even to tree
branches.
The ratio is achieved with the Fibonacci sequence. Ignoring that the
first digit is 0, each number divided by the last creates a spiral. If the
sequence is 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, etc. Then the Golden Ratio is achieved
by using 1/1 = 1, 2/1 = 2, 3/2 = 1.5, 5/3 = 1.666…, 8/5 = 1.6, 13/8 =
1.625, etc. As you can see, the number is converging to something
between 1.6 and 1.7. This number is the golden ratio and, much like
pi, it has no ending.
The golden ratio is already used in both the natural and the
technological world. It helps with the structural integrity of buildings,
pinecones, flowers, and creatures due to how the proportions work
and how they converge on this number.

Symmetry
Symmetry is often used by animals in order to attract a mate. Whether
it’s a peacock’s feathers blossoming in beautiful symmetry, or if it’s in
your own reflection, symmetry is appealing.
In nature, symmetry occurs in a similar way to the Golden Ratio. As
objects, such as snowflakes, grow with chemical patterns that happen
simultaneously and therefore create a shape with various lines of
symmetry.
Snowflakes, in fact, can be mimicked to suit many different purposes.
Their almost unique nature can be mimicked as well as how their
“code” works, their code being the chemicals and processes that
create each individual snowflake. In this way, individual QR codes can
be compared, as the information overlaid onto the QR code is what
gives it its shape and its unique nature.
Stripes
Stripes, although not as mathematically created as symmetrical or
proportional patterns, have immediately apparent uses in nature. The
first and most obvious reason for stripes is in terms of security. Zebras
in a herd stop lions from being able to track a single individual zebra,
making an attack difficult.
Every tiger has a different and unique set of stripes, meaning that they
can be identified by these stripes. Tiger’s stripes are also a form of
camouflage, allowing them to hide throughout the jungle and hunt their
prey.
So, the use of a zebra’s stripes and a tiger’s appear to have the same
purpose, but the ways in which this purpose is achieved oppose each
other. In order for a tiger to blend in it must be alone within the jungle,
but for a zebra to blend in they must be in a herd.
This is similar to the reason why barcodes aren’t enough for unique
tracking. If a barcode is in a herd of other, similar-looking barcodes,
how is a scanner going to pick up on this? At the same time, if a
barcode is camouflaged and at a disorienting angle, how is a scanner
going to be able to read the pattern? This is also similar to shops, as
barcodes from various organisations actually aren’t unique, meaning if
it’s scanned twice, you pay twice. While this can help in this context,
as if you’re buying two of the same item only one of them needs to be
scanned twice, speeding things up, it can also present an issue with
identification and create difficulties relating to human error, such as
accidentally scanning multiple items multiple times creating a hefty bill!
Not only can we look to nature to see solutions and opportunities for
growth and improvement, therefore, but we can also look to nature to
see the problems and how to overcome them.
Because what is the solution for a lion to hunt a zebra other than
thinning the herd? Well, it’s to look for a zebra that stands out and that
it can find through all of the madness – like a scanner finding a QR
code, or an RFID tag. As barcodes are typically unique to the product
type and organisation, not the item itself, it’s the specific ability to track
an individual zebra, or asset, that’s difficult.