by Len Fisher | 24 Apr 2015 | Mini Stories from Science
Getting back to Turing: Turing’s “reaction-diffusion” model for morphogenesis has inspired many mathematicians and computer scientists to get interested in biology – the first, because Turing’s non-linear equations are interesting to grapple with, and the latter,... 
by Len Fisher | 21 Apr 2015 | Mini Stories from Science
How does the zebra get its stripes? How does the leopard get its spots? And why should a mathematician be interested? In Alan Turing’s case, it was because this particular mathematician had an idea. And, as befits someone with a mind so thoroughly adapted to lateral... 
by Len Fisher | 16 Apr 2015 | Mini Stories from Science
Plastic balls on an escalator can form themselves into patterns, but what about the molecules that make up our bodies and our world. Can they also self-organize? The answer is a resounding yes. Long string-like protein molecules fold themselves into neat balls. Even...