After a nearly 40-year chase, physicists have found experimental proof for one of the first fractal patterns known to quantum physics: the Hofstadter butterfly. Named after Douglas Hofstadter, the ...

Fractals commonly show up in nature, from spiral-shaped seashells to heads of cauliflower. Now physicists have found these complex, self-repeating patterns in a very unnatural spot: laser light. Peer ...

(via It's Okay to Be Smart) From spirals to spots to fractals, nature is full of interesting patterns. Many of these patterns even resemble geometric shapes. One of the most common? Hexagons. Why do ...

Humans are visual creatures. Objects we call “beautiful” or “aesthetic” are a crucial part of our humanity. Even the oldest known examples of rock and cave art served aesthetic rather than utilitarian ...

You may not be able to define “fractal” — yet — but fractals are, in fact, everywhere. As you might expect from hearing her title, Hayley Brazier, Donald M. Kerr curator of natural history at the High ...

Kim Tingley is a regular contributor to OnEarth magazine, published by the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the New York Times Magazine. This article was originally published by OnEarth magazine ...

Richard Taylor receives funding from The Australian Research Council, The Research Council for Science Advancement, and The WM Keck Foundation. Humans are visual creatures. Objects we call “beautiful” ...