The spiral is a shape that has fascinated humans since ancient times. The first symbols drawn on the planet were spirals, thought to represent the sun and eternity.
When one thinks of spirals in nature, univalve seashells immediately come to mind. These spirals are logarithmic, the distance between the turns increasing as the shape becomes larger. (Don’t confuse this shape with an archimedean spiral).
Logarithmic spirals were called spira mirabilis ( marvelous spirals) by the scientists who first studied them. Besides seashells, this shape is also found in fiddlehead ferns in spring time, the arrangement of seeds in sunflowers and the scales of pinecones. Not all spirals in nature are static. Galaxies and tornadoes follow this shape, as do hawks in their approach to prey in flight.
A look into the mathematics behind spiral shapes can lead to further study of the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers, both fascinating topics.
The spiral is one of several interesting shapes that are found repeatedly in nature. These shapes often form exquisite patterns and many are building blocks for larger things. Last week I wrote about the meander.
In the Saturdays between now and mid-summer’s eve, I’ll explore a number of other shapes found in nature as a lead-up to a Summer Scavenger Hunt. Details of the hunt to be disclosed June 20th.
For more information on the spiral form in freshwater and sea shells, see the shell section at Drawing Conclusions.
For more information on the shapes found in nature, see Nature’s Shapes.
May 23, 2009 at 10:26 am
Love the moonshell spiral and the pinecone. They’re quite dreamy.
So our adventure is to do with shapes! I believe I must recruit Rob the Firefighter and the Lady Alicia as collaborators.
May 23, 2009 at 10:37 am
I never thought of it that way but yes they do look a bit dreamy. They’re negatives of a couple of my drawings that look so much more sober in their original colors.
Yes the hunt will have to do with shapes. All kinds of them.
May 23, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I have a feeling you’re going to have a really good scavenger hunt. You’ve put so much thought into it!! SHAPES! What a great idea. How come Gerry gets collaborators? ha ha…
Spirals are fabulous. Whorls & spirals bringing us deeper, deeper, deeper. Or farther out, out, out?
I need some more sleep.
May 24, 2009 at 11:38 am
Looking at your spirals, and then at your porcupine, I have to wonder (and am not in a position or with inclination to check) whether her quills spiral from a point of origin like the hairs on top of a human head. And if so, do porcupines have cowlicks? Such is the nonsense in an idle holiday mind…
Skeppie
May 24, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Kathy, I chose shapes because I wanted something that people could find easily enough anywhere on the planet and whether they lived in the city or in the country. I don’t know how many will participate but I do know that we’re most definitely going to have fun. And yes spirals are fabulous
Hope you had a good rest after all your travels.
skepweaver, thanks for visiting and sharing your comments. I never thought of quills spiraling from a point of origin but now you’ve got me wondering… I wasn’t able to find anything on it online. Porcupines look like they’re full of cowlicks. Do they ever NOT have a bad hair day?
May 25, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Very cool spirals! I recently discovered ‘fractals’ and am fascinated by those, too…..can’t wait for the hunt!
May 25, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Fractals are VERY cool. Summer is less than a month away!
May 30, 2009 at 3:23 am
[...] and many are building blocks for larger things. In previous weeks I’ve written about the spiral and the [...]
June 4, 2009 at 8:24 am
It’s interesting how many things follow the spiral pattern. I haven’t really considered it, but have recently seen some beautiful spiral fractals.
June 5, 2009 at 8:17 am
Yes seashellsbymillhill, spirals are not just for gastropods! But they are among the loveliest aren’t they? As for the fractals, who ever thought math could be so beautiful?
June 6, 2009 at 11:54 am
[...] are building blocks for larger things. In previous weeks I’ve written about the branch, the spiral and the [...]
June 13, 2009 at 8:32 am
[...] hexagonal chambers of bees. Like other shapes in nature, such as the circle, the branch, the spiral and the meander, these tiny hexagons form exquisite patterns and are the building blocks for larger [...]
December 29, 2009 at 9:44 am
[...] Spirals in Nature [...]