A beautiful and thought-provoking video from Cristóbal Vila and Etéria Studios illustrates the presence of the golden ratio, also called the divine proportion or golden mean, in living things.

Known to the Greeks and Romans, and present in many geometric figures, this ratio can be found in architecture, music, art, and human design of all kinds (books, postcards, even cars). For example, the ratio was used in the building of the Parthenon. Leonard da Vinci was fascinated by it. Some composers, notably Claude Debussy, structured some of their music around it. Ancient builders and artists considered things built to its standards the most beautiful of all.

In nature it is found in plant growth patterns, in the whorls of the nautilus, and in the wings of a dragonfly. Honeycombs follow this pattern, as do the eyes of the fruit fly. They too are beautiful. Enjoy!