One of the last theoretical papers Turing wrote, was one about how a certain type of chemical reaction ought to produce many patterns seen in nature. He took his own life shortly after writing this paper, but many scientists picked up his work and proved it to be true.

From a visual point of view, I could use his patterns as a starting point for artwork. Here are some pictures of the patterns, some of which I find very interesting/beautiful.

Right: Patterns generated by a computer simulation of the Turing model. Each is made by the same basic equation, with it’s parameters slightly tweaked.

Following a breakthrough in the 1980s, scientists were able to create the reactions that created these patterns on slabs of gel, and recreate the reactions on computers, which enabled them to look more closely at the patterns the reactions made.

The Turing Patterns were seen around in nature, as scientists later found. On the left, is the natural seashell, and on the right is their respective computer generated pattern (from the scientist’s findings)

“Turing patterns can involve not just chemicals, but large, complex systems in which each unit — for example, a cell — is distributed like molecules of pigment.

Pictured is a Turing pattern of cells in Dictyostelium, or a slime mold.”

Turing patterns can be seen in nature as large and vast as the galaxies

All of this research just shows how important and groundbreaking his work was, and from a visual point of view, his patterns are very appealing to the eye, and I’m really interested in using them in my 3 outcomes.

Source: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/turing-patterns/?pid=971