"there are many natural patterns that present more subtle regularities than the highly ordered symmetries of crystals. some of these are generated by quite simple rules, others by a complex of factors; many result from some form or another of self-organization…the simple ripple patterns on a sea-shore, for instance, are created by a multiplicity of contributary factors, including tides, currents, and winds–not to mention the more general effects of gravity and warmth from the sun. all of these are drawn into a self-organising, self-limiting order whose charm lies precisely in the fact that it is repetitive, yet infinitely variable." designa (wooden books)
