Space & Shape

Today we had some microscopic fun!

I observed my laptop’s grille and a Sitka spruce plant under the microscope. At first glance, they couldn’t be more different. One is a piece of engineered technology, the other a product of nature. But upon looking closely, I noticed that they share a surprising similarity: both are built on repeating patterns. My laptop’s grille has holes that align into a precise, evenly spaced grid, a design that repeats perfectly across its surface. The Sitka spruce fruit also shows repetition, but in a more organic way. Its branch-like appendages spiral around the core, following a natural, flowing rhythm rather than a rigid plan.

The differences, however, are just as striking as the similarities. The grille’s linear, dotted pattern is clean-edged and perfectly uniform, while the spruce’s appendages have irregular, imperfect edges that give them an organic texture. The colors are equally distinct. The warm orange-brown of the spruce contrasts with the cool silver of the metal grille. Functionally, both designs serve a purpose—-the grille’s grid allows for even sound distribution, while the dense structure of the spruce fruit protects it from damage. In both cases, whether shaped by human engineering or natural evolution, the arrangement of space is intentional. Space (or lack of space) demonstrates that patterns, perfect or imperfect, are fundamental to structure and function of objects both in technology and life.