Remember the graph paper you used at school, the kind that’s covered with tiny squares? It’s the perfect illustration of what mathematicians call a “periodic tiling of space”, with shapes covering an ...

Simple patterns can be found almost everywhere in the environment, from drain covers to leaves and road markings, say Julie Mountain and Felicity Robinson Patterns are essential to building ...

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. A few minutes into ...

Using a new computer model, scientists simulated the stripes, spots and hexagons on a species of boxfish, imperfections and ...

Skin color patterns in animals arise from microscopic interactions among colored cells that obey equations, say investigators. Researchers report that a lizard acquires its adult skin color by ...

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. A few minutes into a 2018 talk at the University of Michigan, Ian Tobasco picked up a large piece of paper and ...