Why do some patterns of numbers, like the Fibonacci sequence, show up in nature?
Nature's Secret Count
Why do some patterns of numbers, like the Fibonacci sequence, show up in nature?
Count the petals on a daisy, the spirals on a pinecone, the swirl of a sunflower's seeds. Strange thing: the same handful of numbers keeps showing up. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21. Nature has a favorite numerical doodle, and it's called the Fibonacci sequence. But here's the real question — why would a flower care about math?
First, the trick behind the sequence — it's almost lazy. Start with 1 and 1. To get the next number, just add the last two together. 1 plus 1 is 2. 1 plus 2 is 3. 2 plus 3 is 5. 3 plus 5 is 8. Each number is simply the two before it, holding hands.
