The Golden Ratio

We spoke briefly in class about weather certain things or ideas are actually everywhere or we just focus in on them and are convinced they are. I know that often when I learn a new word, I begin to hear it all the time. Obviously the word has been around, but I just hadn’t focused on it before. In Pi, Max becomes obsessed with the Fibonacci Spiral and notices it all around him. Here is a video about the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Spiral.



When I watched this, it was obvious that this ratio or pattern is pleasing to the human eye and occurs frequently in nature. However, most of the examples frequently used to illustrate the Golden Ratio are man-made. It is difficult for me to believe that we are born believing such a ratio is beautiful and we were in no way conditioned to believe so. It is interesting how often the ratio appears in art and even nature, but I believe many of the most popular examples of the ratio are a bit of a stretch. When you’re looking specifically for something in everything around you, it’s hard to distinguish between when such a thing actually exists and when you are simply fabricating a connection.