Fractals.
 

I spotted this one in the Portfolio thread and wondered "what are the odds" of being intrigued by the same subject?
I love it when nature does these things.

Hu-man's pic. (Hope you don't mind)
http://www.jacobskaaning.com/pics/portfolio/5.jpg

Mine: (Although nowhere near as good, I didn't go for the macro view)

what type of fruits/vegetables/aliens are those?
they look really cool!

I *think* it's in the broccoli-family, or something cabbage-y.
I like WillyPete's subjects better, they are pointier and fractalier.
I think it's one of the most beautiful edible things I've ever seen. :D

There's a name for this type of pattern. I think it appears all over the natural world.

Would anyone care to enlighten us?

It's a fractal pattern.
Or were you thinking of a Mandelbrot set? Which itself, is a fractal pattern.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal#Fractals_in_nature

And from that link I found out that it's a Romanesco Broccoli.

I could be thinking of something else.

I'm thinking there's a name for the way acorns form or how pollen arranges itself on a flower.

I called if freaky... I'd be afraid it would burst open and infect me with some alien spores.

Something to do with the Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio?
I think I know what you mean.

*scurries away*
Praise be the might of Wikipedia!!

Phyllotaxis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllotaxis

It might... I certainly wouldn't try steaming it...

That's the one.

Cheers, WillyPete.

There's absolutely no chance I would've remembered that by myself.