The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature (FYS)
CHEM 137F
Fall 2022 not offered
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The natural world is filled with intricate patterns: for example, the characteristic stripes and spots of animals, the shifting landscapes of wind-blown desert sand dunes, the hexagonal forms of honeycombs, the near perfect six-fold symmetry of snowflakes, the branching patterns of arterial structures, convection patterns in fluids, and the forms of soap films. Research suggests that many of these diverse patterns arise from a few relatively simple mechanisms that are independent of the fine details of each system. We will examine a wide range of these natural phenomena to develop insights into how complex morphologies may appear from a few simpler pattern-forming principles. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
NSM CHEM |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
Philip Ball, Shapes, NATURE'S PATTERNS, A TAPESTRY IN THREE PARTS (2009), ISBN 978-0-19-923796-8
Philip Ball, FLOW, NATURE'S PATTERNS, A TAPESTRY IN THREE PARTS (2009), ISBN 978-0-19-923797-5
Philip Ball, BRANCHES, NATURE'S PATTERNS, A TAPESTRY IN THREE PARTS (2009), ISBN 978-0-19-923798-2
All three are available as ebooks in the library catalogue.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Regular short (roughly 800 words) writing assignments. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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