Will natural wonders ever stop

Who would have thought scallops can see.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scallops-amazing-eyes-use-millions-tiny-square-crystals-see

 

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It appears then that perfect squares do exist in nature. I wonder if perfect circles also exist innature.
After all they are mathematical objects.

 

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^^^
Considering all the, at least, trillions of natural formations, I am not the least bit surprised to hear that.

Considering all the, at least, trillions of natural formations, my best guess is yes.

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Earth alone has undergone some 2 trillion, quadrillion, quadrillion, quadrillion chemical reactions during its life time, most forming a specific shape and structure. The number of mathematical structures formed during the 14 billion years of the universe, these numbers become incalculable.

 

^^^
I did not care to go into that so I just used a number big enough to make the point.
Good info tho.

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I knew that scallops could see.

 

Yes, but it would suggest that sensory systems can evolve in many different ways and by entirely different processes, or so it seems.

A dolphin can see our insides (an ability which we lack), a whale can see large obstacles hundreds of yards ahead in the dark, a bat can see tiny flying insects in the dark. How a color blind cuttle fish can see and assume the shape and color of it's environment is another different story.

Is it the adaption of a range of sensitive and responsive cells to a particular environment which allows the organism to form a mental image, i.e. seeing. Which would suggest that such cells may come in different forms and chemistry.
Or possibly that just one specific cell is able to adapt to a range of sensory experiences if it is shaped in a specific structure.

At nano scale gold becomes reddish. Silver can take on a whole range of colors dependent on the shape of the silver atom. Copper can be reddish or greenish at nano scale. It's truly amazing how reality changes at extremely small scales.

 

A quick glance at the electron micrograph reveals that these "squares" are not "perfect" at all.

 

I noticed irregularities also, but does that prove it is impossible that a perfect square, circle, or triangle can form at fundamental nano scales? What would prevent this from occurring naturally?

 

Atomic theory.

 

Even at that scale noting can be exactly formed? Watch this NOVA presentation, start at 42:00

 

No.

At the "nano" scale, the shape of individual atoms and molecules becomes significant. As you know, these are not tidy straight-line shapes.

So one cannot make shapes out of matter that consist of geometrical straight lines at the nano scale.

Period.

 

Perfection is highly overrated.

 

That's what mum told me
She said never let your perfectness show
It's truly hard keeping it in check
Curse you perfectness

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Didn't look perfectly square to me.

 

Great journalism. Why write square crystal tiles when you could just as easily write "perfectly" square crystal tiles.

 

Iron pyrite forms what appear to be part of a perfect cube. There are faces which look like perfect squares to the human vision system.

Perhaps precise measurement might show that no face is actually a perfect square.​

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It is certainly possible - at least in principle - for iron pyrite to form a flawless cubic crystal.

The issue is that it's still a cube of atoms. This is a two-fold problem.

1] It is not made of identical atoms - Iron Pyrite is FeS2, Fe and S are different sizes.
2] Their orientation in the crystal is not orthogonal (not right angles)

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If the atomic structure is as illustrated, not only perfect squares are formed, but it looks like a perfect cube is formed, and if we connect all the blue marked atomes it seems many perfect triangles, as well as right angle triangles will emerge as well.

But, of course, this merely an illustration of the molecule in it's purest form. However if distortions can take place, how do you fit all these atoms together, without losing its structural integrity?

 

It could form a perfect cubic crystal, but that's only a cube down to the atomic scale. It's still bumpy and angled at that scale.

So it depends on how technical you want to get. Perfect, unqualified, often means perfect.

You get flaws, like this:

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