Patterns in nature are common, from zebra stripes to geese flying in V-formations to the nautilus’s spiral. In systems, the presence of a pattern indicates that there are several factors acting in feedback loops; those feedback loops are, in turn, caused by underlying laws or forces such as gravity, electrostatic attraction/repulsion, friction, surface tension, fluid shear, chemical potential, pheromones, and aerodynamic lift. The feedback loops cause the systems to oscillate and the oscillation is interpreted as an emergent pattern. Systems Thinking (specifically the Iceberg Model and causal loops) may be used to explain natural patterns. Understanding what causes natural patterns may help us to influence them, but more importantly, to translate that knowledge to the design and improvement of human-based systems.
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