When I learned about this math ratio, it changed my life.
Okay, so I'm going to explain in this video a math and design phenomenon called the Golden Ratio. It's
also referred to as "Phi." So what is the Golden Ratio? Well, to help explain it, I'm
going to put out the sequence of numbers called the Fibonacci sequence, which is
really just the Golden Ratio in a sequenced, numeric form. Now to arrive
at this Golden Ratio sequence of numbers, we just need to follow a basic math
formula. And I'm not a math person, so we're just going to keep this very
simple. Okay, so you just start with 0+1=1. And now to get to the
next number in the sequence, you take the sum of that simple equation and add it
to the last number in the equation. So 1+1=2
and then 1+2 = 3. And it's around this point that the ratio
actually starts showing up. As we continue to do this formula, we start
arriving at a set of numbers: 2, 3, 5, 8... and you see what we're doing-- we're
adding the sum of the equation to the last number in the equation, and we
arrive at this sequence of numbers. It's interesting that this sequence and
ratio actually remains consistent no matter how long you follow this
mathematical formula. And so this sequence continues to expand outward
around the rate and the ratio of 1 to 1.6. Now to help give you an idea of what
a 1 to 1.6 ratio is compare it to a 1 to 1 ratio so to make a 1 to 1.6 ratio, you just
envision a little more than half of the initial line added to the line of the
other side. Alright so this ratio 1 to 1.6
This is the ratio that's called the Golden Ratio a 1 to 1.6 ratio. So this
is what the Golden Ratio looks like as a rectangle 1 to 1.6. And if we were to start
making incremental Golden Ratio points within that, we can get an idea of what a
spiral looks like when it expands outward at the same measured sequence.
Now this is all well and good, but what does that have to do with everyday life?
Well, a lot actually. And that's because when we look to nature, we see that so
many things flourish when they go to the golden ratio design and when they follow
this sequence. Growing and expanding to the rate of the golden ratio spiral
allows the maximum amount of rain to be directed down to the roots of many
plants. And remarkably when you study nature, you see the golden Fibonacci
numbers like 3, 5, 8, 13, all of that again and again in the seed patterns and spirals
of plants, as well as in the number of petals.
Next time you're bored and have a sunflower, try counting the number of
seeds in the sunflower spiral-- the Golden Ratio! Or maybe try something else with a
spiral, like a pinecone or pineapple. So we can spend all day counting the seeds
of flowers, and plants, and fruit... I mean, you get the idea. But we don't just see
this Golden Ratio sequence on a small scale. This ratio is the mathematical
sequence in the spirals of our storms. Tornadoes, hurricanes-- these all spin in
this golden sequence 1 to 1.6! Even the waves can be measured using this ratio.
But it doesn't stop there-- modern technology continues to be mystified by
the far-reaching scope of the Golden Ratio. From the alignment of the planets
to the spirals of our Milky Way galaxy, as well as the spirals of other ratios
of planets. Now let's take this closer to home, I
want you to hold out your arm and look at the distance between your
shoulder and your elbow. And then from your elbow to your fingertips.
Notice how your elbow from your shoulder to your elbow is "1" and then from your
elbow to your fingertips is "1.6." Pretty crazy huh? but doesn't stop
there. Now take that further the distance from
your fingertips to your wrist is "1" and from your wrist to your elbow is "1.6"
Keep it going-- from the furthest tip of your finger to the
bottom of your fingers is "1" and from the bottom of your fingers to your wrist
is "1.6." Now check out the spacing of your knuckles 1 to 1.6. Are you
getting freaked out yet? Think about this: the head to your belly button "1" and
then belly button to your feet "1.6." From your toes to your knees, and
from your knees to your hips-- Golden Ratio! Ever wonder why your two front
teeth are so much bigger? Golden ratio! The pupils of your eyes-- I mean, you name
it, your whole body is the symphony of the Golden Ratio! In fact, as you are
listening to this video, the sound waves are passing through your ear in a
perfect golden spiral. Scientists have discovered that the golden ratio pattern
is necessary for the human brain, the neural system, our sense organs, and our
lung system. The golden ratio sequence is even in the helix of our DNA, and it
forms the very rhythm of our heartbeat pattern!
This is pretty amazing if you ask me! The universe is an incredible place, and to
think that these beautiful intricacies of the world all hang on a stacked, razor
edge with the incomprehensible fine-tuning of all these precise
constants and quantities which allow the universe to begin to exist.
I mean it's unfathomable! No wonder we are a naturally bent to worship a higher
creative power. I mean, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we live in a
universe that is designed and hardwired to be life permitting. And speaking of
which, I think it's interesting that the Golden Ratio also comes up in the
ancient Biblical texts. Scholars have noted that wouldn't you consider
design measurements of things like Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant,
the Golden Ratio is an exact match to the measurements. Pretty interesting... Okay,
so we've seen how the Golden Ratio is embedded into our life and even into our
own heartbeat. So naturally, it's going to affect our aesthetics and the arts.
It is believed that the Greeks used the Golden Ratio to achieve ideal acoustics,
and many instruments are actually designed with the ratio. When you look at
the amount of black keys and white keys on a piano,
it should be no surprise that you see the Golden Ratio. And that's because
the musical scales and notes align with the Fibonacci sequence. So
scientists, mathematicians, and artisans have been aware of the Golden Ratio and
have been incorporating it into their architectural and artistic designs
throughout history. For some reason, designs tend to look better when
composed and designed with the Golden Ratio. Look at iconic ideal Greek temples
like the Parthenon in Athens-- you can see that they use the ratio again and again.
Painters have also been incorporating the golden ratio into their artistic
designs because it gives the composition a "je ne sais quoi" ("I don't know what.") Leonardo da Vinci was
obsessed with it, so was Michelangelo. Even in the 20th
century, you see the ratio being used in painting-- whether it be in the dimensions
of the canvas, or the placement of the focal point. And by the way, the Golden
Ratio is one of the reasons artists don't like to line everything up in the
center. But you don't have to go to Greece or to the Louvre to appreciate
the Golden Ratio in human design. I mean, just look around your house or go to the
grocery store. The golden ratio is used in product
design, logos, and in branding all the time. It's a ratio that, for some reason,
is pleasing on the eye, and it can be a great template for solving multiple
design problems. I remember when I first started learning about the golden ratio,
I began to see it everywhere, and it's really remarkable with how it comes up
in nature and in the design world, and and how artists can greatly improve
their designs by using its sequence. So now that you know about this mysterious
sequence that pops up again and again, now go out, and I want to challenge you
to go and look and find places where you see this ratio. You don't necessarily
have to take around a measuring stick, but but take pictures, and
notice where you see this ratio come up in design and in nature. And I think you
will be surprised-- and perhaps, even, this newfound awareness it might even change
your life.