If we are struggling to understand a concept we often find it useful to compare one thing with another. I think this tree metaphor is very useful for understanding all sorts of mysteries about growth and change.
As trees and other plants mature over time, new structures appear. Developments may be obvious, as when flowers or other reproductive structures first appear, or more subtle, like the maturing of xylem or phloem.
BUT – this does not necessarily mean that earlier structures disappear. Indeed they often spread up and out with the branches or down into the ground with the roots…The structures that appear when a tree is a tiny seedling are still present in a huge tree – at the very tips of the branches and roots. (1)
See the full description of tree growth here – (1)http://trees.tennessee.edu/concepts.html
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Thanks, Patricia. 😀
Trees – and probably everything else in the universe, including growth, change and society – are fractal. Wikipedia offers a nice overview with links 🙂
I love fractals – thanks – was going to include something about them but couldn’t work out how to say it simply (because I don’t understand it well enough, obviously!) Thanks for the suggestion – will look it up and follow the links – it might enhance my own understanding.
My personal description/definition of fractals is “creation” – new worlds opening up, based on previous structures 😀
Slick! I like that!
Trees – and probably everything else in the universe, including growth, change and society – are fractal. Wikipedia offers a nice overview with links 🙂
I love fractals – thanks – was going to include something about them but couldn’t work out how to say it simply (because I don’t understand it well enough, obviously!) Thanks for the suggestion – will look it up and follow the links – it might enhance my own understanding.
My personal description/definition of fractals is “creation” – new worlds opening up, based on previous structures 😀
Slick! I like that!