A great example of mathematics in nature! You see this in lots of plants but a thistle bud shows it really clearly. I don't really understand Fibonacci numbers or the "golden angle" and "golden ratio" associated with them, but they crop up in plants all the time causing this strange spiral pattern of growth. It has fascinated scientists for years who still can't fully explain the mystery or why it happens!
@christophercox - I would have thought you have the opportunity to see lots of thistles on your travels! Trouble is it's easy to just look superficially because we get blase about everyday things ... that's why I like taking macro shots so that I can look up close at how the everyday things really are.
This girl does really fun talks on the fibonacci sequence.