Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Romanesco Broccoli

fractal broccolifractal broccolifractal broccoli
Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea, and a variant form of cauliflower. The broccoli's shape approximates a natural fractal; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another Logarithmic Spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at several smaller levels.

The spiral shapes of the florets describe a Fibonacci Mathematical Series, one in which each number is the sum of two previous numbers. For example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on. This series was discovered by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (1170-1240) and many natural patterns can be described using it.

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Plan B

I am at point A. I want to go to point B. I don't have a plan or a map. There are many roads that lead from point A to point B, but right now, i can't see which. My only plan is to get to point B. I keep walking. On rare occasions while i walk, i can briefly see with absolute clarity, the reason why the road i am walking on couldn't possibly lead to point B. I stop, I have a cup of tea, I mark the road as "No Way!" and I change course. I keep walking. Hoping that someday, one by one, i will have eliminated all the roads that do not lead to point B. If i can still keep walking then, i will be on one of the roads that lead from point A to point B.

"Hydrogen is a light, odourless gas, which, given enough time,
turns into people."
~ Edward R. Harrison (1919-2007), Cosmologist.

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