The golden ratio is a special number that is approximately equal to 1.618 and is symbolized by the Greek letter Phi. It has fascinated scientists for years and is found hidden almost everywhere on earth. The ratio was actually derived from the Fibonacci sequence, which looks something like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on. Each number is just the sum of the two numbers before it, and it looks quite simple. However when examined in depth, mathematicians and scientists realized it seems to be hiding a secret to the universe.
The Fibonacci sequence is named after Leonardo Fibonacci who actually came up with the sequence when calculating the mating sequence of rabbits over the course of one year. The sequence itself doesn’t look special at all, but when you take each number in the series and divide it by the previous number, the ratios began to approach 1.618 as the numbers get bigger. That number is now known as “The Golden Mean”.
An example of where the golden ratio is found on earth is in the Pyramids. If the base of the pyramid is considered to be 1 unit, then its sides are calculated to be 1.618 units and the height is the square root of 1.618 units tall. The golden ratio is also frequently found in nature, particularly in flowers and trees. For example, the number of petals in a flower follows the Fibonacci sequence: Lily has 3 petals, buttercups have 5 petals, and chicory has 21 petals. All of the number of petals in different flowers are all just numbers found in the Fibonacci sequence. Each petal is placed at 0.618 per turn to allow for the maximum exposure to sunlight. In addition to that, the number of seeds in a sunflower is arranged in a spiral shape and when the spirals are counted, the total also matched a Fibonacci number.
Spirals found in sunflowers
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Aeonium_tabuliforme.jpg/220px-Aeonium_tabuliforme.jpg
Similar patterns are found in fruits and vegetables such as pineapple and cauliflower. Shells, spiral galaxies and hurricanes also seemed to contain the golden ratio when put into a “golden rectangle”. A golden rectangle is a rectangle whose side lengths are in the golden ratio.
Golden ratio found in space
Source: http://io9.com/5985588/15-uncanny-examples-of-the-golden-ratio-in-nature
Last but not least, the golden ratio is found also in the human face. People whose face proportionality approached 1.618 are deemed more attractive- although every person’s body is different, the average across different populations still tend towards the golden ratio.
