Soft, yellow, strangely alluring, and potentially dangerous...the silent, ballet-like movements of one hypnotizes us while the out-of-place vibrancy of the other fascinates us...a mushroom of the sea meets a clump of land jellyfish.

Have you ever looked at all the patterns we see around us? I have written in another post about the Fibonacci patterns we see in the universe. You find them not only in living organisms, but in croissants and anything that is coiled upon itself.

Spiny, vibrant, purple - one thrives on craggy mountaintops and back gardens, the other beneath the waves. Similarly designed to spike those who come too close, these sea urchins from California look almost as though they could be the Canadian thistle's distant cousin, when in fact, they aren't really related at all.

An oddly shaped mushroom - more celestial than last week's jellyfish - arrives in the spring and summer alongside the equally celestial, purple coneflower.

Last week, my little sister came to me with what she thought was the most wonderful thing ever made. Upon looking at it more closely, I saw a small “Rolly Pollie.” These little things are also known as pill bugs or woodlice, since they eat wood. I found that these names, except “Rolly Pollie,” were not correct since they are actually neither bugs nor lice. They are Crustaceans, part of the lobster family!

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with one of the world’s leading spine surgeons to talk about a research study he’s completing. Our meeting was held at his office at UCLA, and as I walked the halls of the hospital, I had to stop at a worn, black and white picture. The picture, blown up to poster size, was of the founding medical staff of the prestigious hospital. All the men (no women) in the picture looked very serious, learned, and most respectable. Just guessing, I’d say it was taken sometime in the early thirties.