PATTERNS IN LIFE

Many of the forms and substances found in nature are the results of an evolutionary process, survival of the fittest, which leads to the optimal solution of a key life function. Honey is central to the life of a bee. Honey does not spoil; its sugar content is so high, its water content so low, that bacteria cannot grow in honey. It is viscous enough that it can readily be stored in honeycomb, yet it is fluid enough to be easily moved in and out of storage by the bees. The honeycomb itself, a hexagonal lattice of cells, is the uniquely best space-filling structure, which combines structural integrity (rigidity), with minimal surface area and consequently maximal storage area. Evolution has made the bees gifted engineers.