Nature is filled with ingenious designs – from the way a leaf grows to spots on a leopard, and spirals of shells to bubbles used by snails. Studying patterns can be a wonderful activity, yet, making sense of wonders is not always easy. The purpose of patterns can range from camouflage, warning signals to regulating temperature. But the reason why some animals have developed intricate patterns is a mystery.
The male ornate boxfish (Aracana ornata) has a beautiful pattern on his skin: purple dots outlined in bright yellow hexagons, with black spacing in between.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that this stunning and sharp pattern may be the result of a process called diffusiophoresis.
They hope that this discovery may one day provide insight into cancer research. Amazing, don’t you think so?
Curiosity matters! Children are full of questions about things that interest them. Take time for questions and remember that the most interesting questions do not always have an answer – at least not yet . . .
You’ll find the resource here and here.
You may also like the blog post Patterns Everywhere: Be Inspired
The ornate boxfish is found in Southern Australia.
Biomimicry for Young Children 
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