Nature Noticings

There is something mesmerizing about patterns in nature. Wasp nest chambers When living things create the patterns, we can nod at evolution: the pattern must aid in the survival of the organism somehow, by creating useful structures or conserving resources. Even if no mind is involved, there are genes controlling behavior and orchestrating the pattern. Honeycomb coral slime mold When patterns occur in something non-living, though, it feels more mysterious. How can blind chemical or mechanical processes result in intricacy and beauty? A few weeks ago we had the chance to explore Larrabee State Park near Bellingham. There are beautiful eroded rocks along the coastline, sandstone worn by the waves. The sandstone is called the Chuckanut formation, and it is well known to local rock nerds for containing Eocene plant fossils, 34 to 54 million years old. In some places, huge palm fronds have been preserved. The sediments were originally deposited on a tropical coastal plain and were later upl...