Color patterns seen in fish and other animals evolved to serve various purposes. Lagunatic Photo/iStock via Getty Images Plus A thought experiment can help visualize the challenge of achieving ...

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Octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish, the animals collectively known as cephalopods, are capable of the most incredible feats of camouflage. At a whim, they can change the colour, pattern, and texture of ...

The shape-shifting clouds of starling birds, the organization of neural networks or the structure of an anthill: nature is full of complex systems whose behaviors can be modeled using mathematical ...

Spring is coming, and as some of us prepare to trade snowsuits for swimsuits, we may find a few extra pounds under our winter coats. Animals are smart. They never take their coats off. (Before and ...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 106, No. 21 (May 26, 2009), pp. 8429-8434 (6 pages) The reaction-diffusion system is one of the most studied ...

A thought experiment can help visualize the challenge of achieving distinctive color patterns. Imagine gently adding a drop of blue and red dye to a cup of water. The drops will slowly disperse ...