| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"Sam Wormley" |
| Date: |
11 May 2007 11:00:37 AM |
| Object: |
Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants |
Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
The seeds of a sunflower, the spines of a cactus, and the bracts of a
pine cone all grow in whirling spiral patterns. Remarkable for their
complexity and beauty, they also show consistent mathematical
patterns that scientists have been striving to understand.
A surprising number of plants have spiral patterns in which each
leaf, seed, or other structure follows the next at a particular angle
called the golden angle. The golden angle is about 137.5º. Two radii
of a circle C form the golden angle if they divide the circle into
two areas A and B so that A/B = B/C.
The golden angle is closely related to the celebrated golden ratio,
which the ancient Greeks and others believed to have divine and
mystical properties. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the human form
displays the golden ratio.
See: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
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| User: "H. Wabnig .... .-- .- -... -. .. --. @ .- --- -. DOT .- -" |
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| Title: Re: Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants |
11 May 2007 11:30:22 AM |
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On Fri, 11 May 2007 16:00:37 GMT, Sam Wormley <swormley1@mchsi.com>
wrote:
Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
The seeds of a sunflower, the spines of a cactus, and the bracts of a
pine cone all grow in whirling spiral patterns. Remarkable for their
complexity and beauty, they also show consistent mathematical
patterns that scientists have been striving to understand.
A surprising number of plants have spiral patterns in which each
leaf, seed, or other structure follows the next at a particular angle
called the golden angle. The golden angle is about 137.5º. Two radii
of a circle C form the golden angle if they divide the circle into
two areas A and B so that A/B = B/C.
The golden angle is closely related to the celebrated golden ratio,
which the ancient Greeks and others believed to have divine and
mystical properties. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the human form
displays the golden ratio.
See: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
Once I too was fond of the golden ratio, and I had the new windows of
my house tiled accordingly, not the usual 1/3, 2/3 ratio.
w.
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| User: "Jan Panteltje" |
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| Title: Re: Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants |
12 May 2007 05:19:49 AM |
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On a sunny day (Fri, 11 May 2007 16:00:37 GMT) it happened Sam Wormley
<swormley1@mchsi.com> wrote in <Fq01i.47985$n_.36746@attbi_s21>:
Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
Hey, and I thought it was an article about Baez ;-)
The seeds of a sunflower, the spines of a cactus, and the bracts of a
pine cone all grow in whirling spiral patterns. Remarkable for their
complexity and beauty, they also show consistent mathematical
patterns that scientists have been striving to understand.
I planted an Avocado seed some years agao in a pot.
It came up, and each year some leaves...
Now all of the sudden it 'explodes' with leaves, new branches coming out at
all sides.
If it goes on I will ask it for 2 x 2 ?
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| User: "David W. Cantrell" |
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| Title: Re: Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants |
11 May 2007 11:16:43 AM |
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Sam Wormley <swormley1@mchsi.com> wrote:
Math Trek: The Mathematical Lives of Plants
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
The seeds of a sunflower, the spines of a cactus, and the bracts of a
pine cone all grow in whirling spiral patterns. Remarkable for their
complexity and beauty, they also show consistent mathematical
patterns that scientists have been striving to understand.
A surprising number of plants have spiral patterns in which each
leaf, seed, or other structure follows the next at a particular angle
called the golden angle. The golden angle is about 137.5º. Two radii
of a circle C form the golden angle if they divide the circle into
two areas A and B so that A/B = B/C.
The golden angle is closely related to the celebrated golden ratio,
which the ancient Greeks and others believed to have divine and
mystical properties. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the human form
displays the golden ratio.
See: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070505/mathtrek.asp
The last paragraph quoted above needs to be rewritten! I posted a comment
to that effect in the blog associated with the article.
David W. Cantrell
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