8 Stunning Fractals Found in Nature

Math + Nature = Beauty!

Fractals are never-ending patterns. The beauty of fractals is that their infinite complexity is formed through the repetition of simple equations. These repeating patterns are displayed at every scale.

Frederi Viens, a program director at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Mathematical Science, explains in a recent NSF news release, “If I wanted to construct a fractal, I would take a simple rule, like adding three small triangles on the edge of a big triangle […]. Then, the rule is repeated again and again.”

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Most people are extremely familiar with fractals because they are seen throughout the natural world. Here are some of the most stunning examples of fractals in nature.

1. Snowflake

^{Credit: Alexey Kljatov/flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)}

2. Unfurling Fern

^{Credit: Thomas Brown/Wikipedia (CC BY 2.0)}

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3. Nautilus Shell

^{Credit: Chris 73/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)}

4. Gecko’s Foot

^{Credit: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)}

5. Angelica Flowerhead

^{Credit: Chiswick Chap/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)}

6. Frost Crystals

^{Credit: Schnobby/Wikipedia (CC BY_SA 3.0)}

7. Lightning Bolt

^{Credit: Postdif/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)}

8. Romanesco Broccoli

^{Credit: cyclonebill/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)}

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