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Does Time Mimic the Double Spiral of DNA?
As science has progressed, numerous mathematical patterns have become apparent in nature. The Fibonacci sequence, for example, governs the formation of a spiral — one of the most basic life structures, yet also the structure of our entire Milky Way Galaxy. The Mandelbrot Set describes a transition from order to chaos, and then back to order in relation to population growth. Gravity itself is also an example of math in nature, as it is the force that governs interaction between all objects and even energies.
Through the study of these patterns, scientists have begun to realize that they can be extrapolated to apply to systems infinitely larger, and infinitely smaller than the system currently being observed. The way the nucleus of an atom is orbited by electrons, for example, shows an extrapolation of gravity from our visible world to the microscopic world.
There is one pattern toward which I would like to direct our attention, however, and it is the helical structure of DNA. Scientists have proposed that this structure is formed because of the principle of least exertion. Spiral structures require the least amount of energy to form and add to, yet they still maintain the required structural integrity. According to a research study on the topic, such a double spiral is the most likely geometric system in which time could be graphed and observed…