Why does nature create patterns? A physicist explains the molecular-level processes behind crystals stripes and basalt columns

Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland features around 40,000 exposed polygonal columns of basalt in perfect vertical sections. Chris Hill/Photodisc via Getty Images – By Maxim Lavrentovich, Assistant Professor of Theoretical Biophysics, University of Tennessee Published: 2022 Sep 19 – Curious Kids is a …