Count the Spirals

Find a pine cone — a park bench or a woodland trail usually has one. Hold it base-up and count the spirals going clockwise from the center outward, then count the ones going counterclockwise. You will likely find 8 one way and 13 the other — consecutive Fibonacci numbers.

Try the same on a pineapple. Its skin divides into diamond-shaped scales arranged in overlapping spirals — usually 8 and 13, with a smaller set of 5. All Fibonacci.

Now test the golden ratio. Take two consecutive Fibonacci numbers — say 89 and 55. Divide: 89 ÷ 55 = 1.618.... The larger the pair, the closer the ratio gets to φ.