Mysteries and Secrets of Numerology. Patricia Fanthorpe

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      Fibonacci and snail's shell

      Theoretically, there is no limit to the size of this spiral. It could fill anything from a galaxy to a garden trowel. Each new square will have a side that is the same length as the 2 previous sides added to each other — the construction technique for the Fibonacci series. If we now consider the importance of ф and apply it to the spiral constructed from the Fibonacci-sided squares, it becomes clear that every quarter-turn of the spiral has rotated in such a way that each line drawn from the spiral to its centre will be approximately 1.618 times longer than its predecessor. The humble little garden snail is not alone in possessing a Fibonacci-based spiral shell: a great many other shells exhibit it both on land and sea. There has been some controversy between naturalists, mathematicians, and numerologists over the exactness of this coordination between spiral shell measurements and the Fibonacci series. Nautilus seashells seem to vary between about 1.9 and 1.6, nevertheless they seem to come close enough to ф to be worth serious consideration. But how powerfully, and how consistently, does nature conform to the Fibonacci series and the mysterious golden mean? And what does that conformity imply about mathematical structures and its mysterious first cousin, numerology?

      The cochlea of the human ear also forms a Fibonacci spiral. From the complexity of these spirals to the simple but equally impressive zoological example that can be found in the human arm, the whole question becomes closer and more familiar. Begin by considering the humerus bone: just one single bone from shoulder to elbow. At the elbow, 2 bones begin: the ulna and the radius. The hand has 5 digits, and each digit possesses 3 small bones. The arm clearly illustrates the Fibonacci series: “1,” “2,” “5,” and “3” are all Fibonacci numbers. The golden mean can also be demonstrated by measuring the hand, from the wrist to the fingertips, and comparing it to the length of the forearm from the elbow to the wrist. The ratio of the forearm to the whole distance from elbow to fingertips (which is the same as the ancient cubit, the unit used to give the dimensions of Noah’s ark in the flood story) is the same as the ratio of the forearm (elbow to wrist) to the hand (wrist to fingertips).

      Dolphins also comply with the Fibonacci numbers. If lines are measured from the eyes, fins, and tail, they all combine to make the golden section. Strange to think that a dolphin has the same beautiful proportions as classical Greek architecture. The simple starfish with its 5 “arms” provides yet another instance — “5” being a significant Fibonacci number.

      The beautiful and intricate body shape of the marine angel fish also complies with the golden section: members of the pomacanthidae family, they live on shallow reefs in the Indian Ocean, the tropical Atlantic, and the western Pacific.

      Going down into the depths of life’s mysteries, inside the nucleus of the living cell, is DNA. The nucleus of a living cell contains “X”-shaped chromosomes and each of them can contain thousands of genes. Each gene is the blueprint of an inherited characteristic. The mysterious DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a weird double-helix shape, and, when measured, it turns out to be in the ratio of 21:13 angstroms, which boils down to ф. Therefore, Fibonacci’s awesome numbering system is even found in the depths of genetics and DNA, which can be thought of as one of life’s foundation stones.