Thinking in Patterns

Below is a list of patterns found in nature. Every pattern is a response to a specific challenge.

• branching / fractal
  • scattering or gathering information / nutrients
  • cover a lot of surface with little material requirements
  • applications: leafs and branches
• circle / ring / torus
  • strong
  • small interior, large exterior
  • used for constriction
  • applications: hunting strategy of boa constrictor
• cloud
  • dispersed, low density
  • saturation can change phase rapidly
  • a seed can change its phase
    • for vapour clouds: condensation / rain
• dome / lobe
  • able to take input from all (upper) directions while sitting on a strong base
  • applications: general shape of trees and shrubs
• gradient
  • signaling mechanism for distance to food, mates, construction (e.g. trunk > limbs > joints > fingers > knuckles)
• hook / burdock / ogive (pointed arch)
  • for catching and holding on
  • strong
  • easy to go in, difficult to take out
  • applications: cat's nails, thorns
• meander / wave / seneca curve / logistic curve
  • natural consequence of a flow across a surface
    • water across sand
    • wind across water
  • describes different phases of development
  • shows where the path of least friction is
  • applications: a stream of water, river
• net / web
  • catching and filtering things
  • applications: a spider's web, a fishing net
• scattering / camouflage
  • blending into the environment
  • smaller elements are more difficult to detect
  • increase chances of finding a favorable niche
  • applications: scattered seeds, leopard spots
• sheet
  • very large surface area, very small interior
  • for exchange with exterior
  • applications: leaf
• sphere / bubble
  • protection (for seeds etc.)
  • smallest surface area for largest interior volume
  • applications: shape of nuts and fruits
• spiral
  • makes a cone from a central line with branches perpendicular to the growth of the central line
  • applications: arrangements of flowers in a sunflower
• streamline
• succession
• tetrahedron / triangle
  • basic construction element
  • keeps shape under both compression and tension
• tube / barrel
  • transport fluids or gasses across some distance