There is inexplicable code found in the fabric of creation. A formulaic connection seemingly programmed by intelligence linked in both number & ratio. From the numbers of flower petals to the angles between these petals to the amount of spirals contained in pinecones & sunflowers, all seemingly synchronized in symmetry known as the Fibonacci Sequence. And when these sequenced numbers are divided by it’s predecessor, there lies another continuum of strange congruity in ratio: known as the Golden Ratio. This sacred ratio denoted as Phi (structural symmetry) and valued as a comparison of scale that provides the most aesthetically pleasing proportion of sides of shape, most economical patterns for seed & leaf layout (max capture of sunlight & water), and even perfect human dimensions. The appeal to perfection and implications of these numbers were also supported by influential mathematicians and engineers of the past. Most notable being Leonardo De Vinci’s Vitruvian man and publication of the De Divina Proportione. Even today, modern applications are being found in the study of fractals, chaos, and dynamical systems.
The Fibonacci pattern and its deep connection to structure found in nature & man’s creation reverberates surreptitiously like source code leading any curious mind to the precipice of conclusion; coincidence or intentional design? As pattern seeking creatures, this phenomena certainly provides a pathway to harmony in all things; a comforting connection aligned with many paths of philosophy and religion.
We can all agree that clarity is a divided and highly nuanced field. And its all too easy to allow our brain’s pattern recognition and affirming software to run silently in background. Confirmation bias being one of the more well known operating systems we all unboxed with is and roughly defined as a behavior where one only seeks evidence supporting their chosen conclusion and unknowingly (although sometimes knowingly) rejects any converse to avoid anxiety of disparity.
Despite the provocative evidence of the Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Ratio, & Divine Angle there are nearly as many or more examples of plants not following these patterns, imperfect spiral overlays, and many questionable claims where these ratios found in structure such as the Pyramids, Parthenon, and human body are highly up to debate and dependent on suspect measurements of dimension & data. Here the question arises are these noble and indelible truths linking in all things, or just patterns that randomly appear and we have drawn the connective lines of data points arriving at a truth? As the debate will surely continue I can only leave the reader with my below quote and a treatise from Left Coast Caveman with a commitment to critically approaching content of reputable nature and even exploring that of the fringe with an unbiased open mind. Sometimes there is fire where there is smoke, and sometimes its just the remnants of a camp that never existed.
Seek openly the harmony of all things, while questioning with the unabashed curiosity of a 7 year old; as these questions often lead us further to understanding the known and the unknown. Become companions with the converse of conventional “fact”, the instigation of debate, and the humility found in acknowledging gaps in understanding. The indefatigable pursuit of knowledge calms the frenetic vibrations of the untethered mind.
