55, 89, 144, 233, 377… by Chipka
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Description
I suspected that I wasn’t quite done with my Fibonacci Rant; I knew I’d return to the topic…one day. I didn’t expect to do so today. It would seem that Fate and Nature have other plans. Oh well.
As today is Monday, I worked. I saw precious little of the truck yard, and for that I’m thankful. The day started with rain. The sun peeked out this afternoon. According to all of the local weather reports, we’re to expect more rain tonight. In short, Chicago is pretty soggy right now; parts of it are still dripping.
I returned home, changed clothes, emptied garbage and noticed a small wonder. The diminutive yard behind our apartment building was inundated with gastropods. There were slugs. There were snails. There were gleaming strands of snot like calligraphy across the walkway. There were slugs the size of Estonia—not that much of a wonder since Estonia is tiny, by sovereign-country standards. With such shimmering, invertebrate wealth, I couldn’t resist scampering indoors to grab my camera. Upon my re-emergence I passed my favorite photographic spot: a wooden banister support capped with a faint growth of moss. It was there I’d photographed the shell of a long-dead snail and launched into ruminations on science, mathematics, and my sideways approach to one by way of my love for the other. (Funny how that works, but I suspect that if I mapped out my circuitous wander into mathematics by way of science, I’d see Nature’s favorite pattern—the one repeated everywhere from the courses of subatomic particles, to shape of a snail’s shell, to the complicated play of cowlicks in some goofy kid’s hair, on up the scale to the serene and elegant spiral of galaxies engaged in their own complex, spiraling gravitational waltzes.) On one crude little back-porch banister, I saw another snail, a living specimen: a juvenile apparently gleefully aware of what I’d said about Fibonacci Numbers just a few days ago.
I spent close to thirty minutes watching the diminutive snail while thinking about Fibonacci Numbers, the Golden Mean (sometimes called the Divine Ratio) and giggling at the thought that my moment’s small companion seemed inordinately interested in declaring, of the Fibonacci Spral: ”Look at me! I’m little, but I can do it too!” Kids! They’re so cute when they inform you—rather enthusiastically—that they can count! They’re even more enthusiastic when they’re little gastropod kids, so incredibly proud of their shiny, new shells secreted in just the way that mommy/daddy and daddy/mommy taught them.
It finally hit me that maybe I should photograph the little juvenile snail in my presence. I did so. The snail in question was pretty dark, however, and s/he defied all of my snazzy camera settings. I was forced to improvise. I darted back inside, found a sheet of white paper, wiped it down with a sopping-wet paper towel, and returned outside. I transferred the snail to the moist paper, and snapped as many shots as the little snail allowed: quite a prodigious number until s/he decided to amble off the edge of the paper, down the wooden rail-support, and into shady moisture.
All-in-all, an eventless and boring day changed when I saw snails, slugs, and other assorted critters, and as I write this, more of the numerical expression of the Fibonacci Spiral is—well…spiraling through my mind, as I giggle through the thought that a little, tiny snail waved its eyestalks at me and declared: Look at me! I can count those numbers too!
Oh, and speaking of the Divine Ratio, I didn’t realize it until looking at this picture moments ago, there are two Fibonacci Spirals in it, one in the snail’s shell, and one in the composition of the photograph itself. Weird coincidence. Kinda freaky, in a cool way!
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting. I hope you're all having a great week, and if you start dreaming of Fibonacci Numbers, you can probably blame me!
Comments (22)
jmb007
bel escargot!!!une belle spirale aussi!!
MrsRatbag
Only you, Chip, can get excited about an inundation of snails and slugs! LOL! And yes, there is a marvel in the shape of the shell, and how it knows how to excrete it just so...my storm drain cover today is a human-made echo of that too, I guess. Wonder where all yours were going? Mass exodus in the wake of/before the flood? You should have asked the little one!
Madbat
Darn it, now I'm going to be looking for the golden ratio in my disaster of a room, thanks Chip!
jocko500
wonderful looking
tofi
A wonderful idea, Chip, to photograph this little snail; busy about in it's own little world. I really like the simplicity and the strong attention to detail you have captured in your image! Excellent lighting, and it was a pleasure reading your words and thoughts. Beautifully composed!
helanker
And I agree with Tofi in all she wrote. I love this simple shot and the thoughts behind it is amazing and fun reading. :-D
Sepiasiren
this little dude almost looks as if he is glowing--you know, I do have a fondness for snails--they are in no hurry to get anywhere and truly seem to enjoy where they are at, in other words, they appear to live in the moment ....lol
durleybeachbum
I enjoyed your spiral ramble! You probably know the writings of D'Arcy Thompson. His book had a huge influence on me while I was at art school. http://www.eclipse.co.uk/moordent/darcy.htm
faroutsider
As you are a science-fiction writer, I would be horrified if you were not captivated by the beauty of science, and the wonderful language of mathematics. Fibonacci, Mandlebrot, Gödel, Euclid, Pythagoras and hundreds of others... geniuses who have permanently altered our view of the universe with their mathematical insights and their descriptions of process and form. One of my all-time favourite novels is David Zindell's "Neverness" - a wonderful book that turns mathematics into poetry... in much the same way that you turn a gastropod journey into mathematical poetry... Count on!!!
whaleman
There must be a great deal of freedom in carrying your house with you as you wend your way through life. Only when I escape in my jeep do I carry my home and experience the freedom of the little snail...
Meisiekind
Once again you had me hanging onto your every word with jaw dropping amazement on how a little snail can stimulate all that writing!!! Gosh - I really enjoy it!!! Wonderful little critter and so inspiring it turns out to be!!
flavia49
fascinating!
lucindawind
fabulous read ..sweet shot !:)
Charberry
If you are not a teacher, you should be. Fascinating, all of it. ;c) I find the snail cute (as long as it is not in my garden munching on my prize Pansies), and you are inspired as a writer if a small snail can open up all of this from you. Way to go.
sandra46
Spirals are symbols of continuity, evolution, devolution, involution, expansion, contraction, cycles, mysteries, and changes which are the natural result of all that has gone before. I'm not surprised you've been fascinated by it. As to the photo, i think it's outstanding!
beachzz
Snails and math--oh no!! But a great shot anyway!!
danapommet
Great idea about the sheet of paper and thinking of wetting it down. Super shot of the snail and wonderful textures in the shell. Always a interesting narrative. Dana
auntietk
You may descend upon my garden any time you like, my friend. I have enough slugs and snails to keep you happy for quite some time! :) (It's just a lure, you know ... we'd love to have you any time!)
bmac62
OMG Chip...just when I think there is little left to learn, something like Fibonacci numbers comes along. I just googled the term and of course I now know more than I know what to do with... Excellent image of this little living mathematical eample. Thanks for setting me off on another track to ponder. LOL
minos_6
You captured your subject superbly, and I'm really impressed with your innovative method of luring the little guy onto a sheet on wet paper! As for Fibonacci numbers, what a fascinating subject! Could the theory be applied to online artists communities in any way I wonder?
kgb224
Thank you for sharing a wonderful capture.
GailB
Beautiful, luminous picture. And, as a bit of a math geek, I love spirals and the Fibonacci series. I even flipped back through a book, "Sacred Geometry, Deciphering the Code" by Stephen Skinner, that I bought in the design section of the bookstore at EGA (Embroiderers' Guild of America) seminar a year or two ago. Nice, light book on math, art, and nature through history.