On the topic of sunflowers, the Vogel model has an elegant description in the complex plane: z = sqrt(n)*w^n, where w = e^(2*pi*i/phi), for all naturals n. I thought about encoding raster graphics in this way, instead of going from left-to-right in horizontal rows. It should be less pixelated, and thus more aesthetically appealing, even at low resolutions. (Indeed, I considered that, to send image data to an alien race, this may be the most natural way to do so. With ordinary bitmaps, the aliens will have to guess the dimensions to visualise the image, as was the case for the Aricebo message.) Sincerely, Adam P. Goucher
I wonder if the fact that 5 is a Fibonacci number is somehow relevant.
Things that grow have a predilection for Fibonacci numbers. Pine cones, sunflowers and...er...human hands?
And those pesky animals with non-Fib numbered digits are the exceptions that prove the rule...
On 20 Dec 2010, at 19:06, Henry Baker wrote:
Thanks! It took me a while, but I finally found that "oligodactyly" is the word for too few digits. You can now dazzle on your next crossword puzzle, scrabble game, or spelling bee!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodactyly
This small, isolated tribe in Africa has the middle 3 toes missing, apparently without functional handicap.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadoma
The 1 in 500 incidence for polydactyly is higher than I would have guessed, but it is indicative of the ongoing evolutionary pressures. The article for oligodactyly doesn't indicate incidence, so I would guess it is much lower than 1 in 500.
At 10:23 AM 12/20/2010, Adam P. Goucher wrote:
Evolution is happy to make huge mistakes about all kinds of endocrine & mitochondrial diseases, but not about the # of digits.
What about polydactyly (wow, a word with three 'y's!), where people are born with 6 digits on each limb?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly
Sincerely,
Adam P. Goucher
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