What do clouds, stalks of broccoli, and the rhythm of your heart have in common? Fractals–the irregular, repeating shapes that are found almost everywhere in nature, but whose governing principles were considered beyond the limits of our mathematical understanding well into the 20th century. But today, scientists, designers, and inventors use fractal geometry to make breakthroughs in fields ranging from wireless communication to cancer research.

[text adapted from kikim.com]