Pattern formation is the science that explains why different patterns emerge from seemingly non-patterned systems. It is why the universe is not boring, and ultimately why we exist!

The universe started homogeneous looking the same everywhere, with only tiny little variations (0.001%) and now it has structure on every level from clusters of 1000s of galaxies to the beautiful chemical reactions shown here.

What I really love about studying pattern formation is that understanding how patterns form in one system (like a boiling cup of coffee) can give you insight to how it forms in other systems (like giant galaxy clusters)

In future posts I will talk about how specific patterns form and how we can gain insight from them.

-The Physics Connection