Patterns in Nature: Spirals
Photo Left: a cross-section of a chambered nautilus
Spirals are one of nature's repeated patterns found everywhere in nature from the most miniscule, human DNA helix, to bazaar places like the human ear cochlea to the great spiral found in our very own Milky Way Galaxy. It's been said that spirals are like God's fingerprint. They are frequently found in the spiral turns of such plants as sunflowers, pinecones and pineapples. The cross-section of the beautiful chambered nautilus shell yields one of nature's most astonishing logarithmic spirals.
Spirals are one of nature's repeated patterns found everywhere in nature from the most miniscule, human DNA helix, to bazaar places like the human ear cochlea to the great spiral found in our very own Milky Way Galaxy. It's been said that spirals are like God's fingerprint. They are frequently found in the spiral turns of such plants as sunflowers, pinecones and pineapples. The cross-section of the beautiful chambered nautilus shell yields one of nature's most astonishing logarithmic spirals.
Web Resources
Spiral MathArtists
Dia Art Foundation - Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Andy Goldworthy, artist/naturalist (scroll through his work until you find the spirals)
Spiral MathArtists
Dia Art Foundation - Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Andy Goldworthy, artist/naturalist (scroll through his work until you find the spirals)
Projects & Activities
Growing Sunflowers - A great way to study "living spirals" from a real plant which exhibits beautiful spiral patterns
Video Tutorials
Live & HYBRID Class Videos
See parts II and III of Vihart's Fibonacci video series from You Tube. Click on the You Tube icon from the above video. Once you've arrived at You Tube, look to the right of the video to see the rest of the videos in the series.