Environmental scientist and math enthusiast, Eric Fuselier, to discuss patterns found in nature

ROGERS, AR – Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area will host Eric Fuselier, environmental scientist, and math enthusiast, for a Numbers in Nature program

Patterns can be found all around us, especially in nature. From the shapes of galaxies and seashells to the growth patterns of trees and blood vessels, math is a language that can be used to describe these patterns. Fuselier will discuss the concepts that mathematicians have developed over the centuries to understand the patterns in our world. He will cover a broad range of science disciplines, including botany, astronomy, entomology, and meteorology.

Some topics that will be discussed include:

Fractal geometry and where we see this in nature (the shapes of tree branches or fern leaves)
The Fibonacci number series and where these numbers show up in the natural world (the number of petals on a flower)
The Golden Ratio and where it occurs in nature (seashells or Saturn’s rings)
Prime numbers and why the number of years in periodic cicadas’ life cycles occur in prime numbers (13- and 17-year cycles)
Voronoi patterns and where they appear in nature (honeycombs, corn cobs, cork wood, cracks in dry mud)
Symmetry and where its different forms are seen in nature (snowflakes, leaf arrangements of plants)
 
For more than a decade, Fuselier has been studying plants found growing wild in the Ozarks. While working as an environmental scientist for a local civil engineering firm, he has been able to put his knowledge of native plants to use in a professional capacity. Fuselier has been involved in the planting and development of several native plant gardens in northwest Arkansas and serves as the president of the Ozark Chapter of the Arkansas Native Plant Society.

Date: Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023

Time: 2 p.m

Location: Park’s Visitor Center, 20201 East Highway 12, Rogers, AR.

Admission: The program is free and open to the public.

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