A new theory enables the simulation of complex pattern formation in biological systems across different spatial and temporal scales. For many processes important for life such as cell division, cell ...

Order doesn’t always form perfectly—and those imperfections can be surprisingly powerful. In materials like liquid crystals, tiny “defects” emerge when symmetry breaks, shaping everything from cosmic ...

Physicists have shown how fluid flows influence the formation of complex patterns. The formation of patterns is a universal phenomenon that underlies fundamental processes in biology. An example are ...

The reason patterns often appear in nature is simple: The same basic physical or chemical processes occur in many patterned substances and organisms as they form. Whether in plants and animals or ...

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why does nature always create a pattern? – ...