Submitted by amsdys t3_127uy9z in explainlikeimfive
CautiousCold8392 t1_jeggbab wrote
Reply to comment by Chromotron in ELI5-What is the fibonacci sequence? by amsdys
It's nice to know that we are in agreement. It is true to say that the Fibonacci sequence may not account for the unpredictability of natural processes.
Other examples exist that may resemble the sequence. The spiral pattern on a ram's horns often resembles the golden ratio. As the pinecone grows bigger and you count the spiral in each direction, the ratio gets closer to the golden ratio.
lolcatuser t1_jeghh0t wrote
It's inaccurate to call that "the golden ratio" when it's not. If a plant has a logarithmic spiral with a factor of 1.4-1.8 then you shouldn't call it the same as a spiral of (1+sqrt(5))/2, for a lot of reasons - first, there's too much variance; second, there's no way to really prove whether it's the golden ratio or some other number. Suppose there is a slightly different number, say, (2+sqrt(8))/3, which is similar (~1.6 and ~1.6) yet entirely different - is it not just as possible that this is the magic number of life rather than the golden ratio?
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