#pattern formation

Unlike scotch whisky, when American bourbon whiskeys are diluted, they form unique web-like evaporation patterns. (Image and research credit: S. Williams et al.; via Physics Today)

As hydrogels dry out, they create wild patterns. (Image and research credit: R. Pic et al.)

Pattern formation is extremely common in nature, from the dendritic growth of trees and snowflakes to the stripes of a tiger. A new paper describes how a thin layer of ice in a liquid can form labyrinthine patterns when illuminated with near-infrared light. Both the liquid and ice are maintained at a constant temperature below the melting point, but the ice absorbs the near-infrared light more effectively than the water. This means that parts of the ice that are far from the liquid warm and melt faster, creating holes that can then allow a pocket of liquid to seep in and reduce the absorption rate. The ice crystals themselves thin and expand across the surface at the expense of more holes, which eventually create larger channels that pock the ice. (Image and research credit: S. Preis et al.; via Nature; submitted by Kam-Yung Soh)

Investigation on performative patterns, enables an exploration of pattern that arises out of the interaction of mad-made interventions with the natural environment. 

3D Printed Reaction Diffusion Patterns by syedrezaali

PATTERN FORMATION IN HOT CHOCOLATE #1.

Blue Ghost Fireflies, North Carolina, Photograph by Spencer Black. (via Fireflies Picture -- Nature Photo -- National Geographic Photo of the Day)