Unlike the popular quote, “Life imitates art” this isn’t always true. Take for example, the Golden Ratio seen in many natural phenomena across our universe. From flowers to galaxy formations, this seemingly perfect sequence of numbers seems to permeate biological life.
My math teacher would often argue that the existence of the Fibonacci sequence was proof to the idea that math wasn’t invented, just discovered. However, putting existential crises on math aside, why does nature do this?
Well, Fibonacci’s sequence just happens to be the perfect ratio in which you can create something round that comes together with no gaps. It is this sequence that allows the leaves on a succulent to grow without the new leaves blocking old leaves from the sun.
However, despite its practicality and efficiency, this sequence has also been proven as the most pleasing pattern to the human eye.
So that raises the question: Did nature decide to be aesthetic? Or did art decide to be practical?
