The Fourth Dimension of Life: Fractal Geometry and Allometric Scaling of Organism
In the paper titled "The Fourth Dimension of Life: Fractal Geometry and Allometric Scaling of Organism" we learn how fractal patterns are everywhere in nature, from trees to the veins in our bodies. This fractal pattern allows for geometric scaling of our biological architectures, based only on our genetic code.
Genes are extremely efficient methods of compressing information. In fact, more information is compressed into DNA than any storage medium that I know of. A human genome contains around 1.5 gigs. Harvard scientists found a way to store 700 terabytes of information in a gram of DNA. Fractals allow for complex scaling effects and they can be used to design more efficient chips as well as fractal antennas. In the case of computer chips, fractals may be used to help solve the dark silicon problem.
References
- Ginzburg, L., & Damuth, J. (2008). The space‐lifetime hypothesis: Viewing organisms in four dimensions, literally. The American Naturalist, 171(1), 125-131.
- West, G. B., Brown, J. H., & Enquist, B. J. (1999). The fourth dimension of life: fractal geometry and allometric scaling of organisms. science, 284(5420), 1677-1679.
- Riddle, J. M. (2015). Fractal Cognitive Triad: The Theoretical Connection between Subjective Experience and Neural Oscillations. Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, 11(2), 130-145.
- Herrmann, R. (2015). A fractal approach to the dark silicon problem: A comparison of 3D computer architectures–Standard slices versus fractal Menger sponge geometry. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 70, 38-41.