Every behaviour and expression of life has multiple levels of influences

There’s the level of the body or the organism. Atoms, and a lot of empty space between them. 

Wound into cells are genetic codes, passed down as individuals fuse, but also shaped by environment.

Cells specialise into organs which together form incredible, powerful systems inside us and other living beings.

We have a deeply impactful level of our family history and experiences.

That’s embedded within a neighbourhood, a community and a culture.

There’s also the context of our country ‌–‌ an imagined political border ‌–‌ but more than that, it’s land and climate.

The biggest and slowest perspective takes in a whole species, and how all are shaped by evolution, gravity, magnetism, time.

Fractals are patterns that repeat on every level of observation

The little clumps on a broccoli head look like the actual branches.

A spinal column and vagus nerve looks like a tree.

Trees look like lungs and vice versa. They do the same job.

Galaxies look like our brain neurons.

And a flower’s petal patterning can look like a galaxy.

Insights can be gained from zooming in and zooming out. We see not only the predator-prey dynamic. There is also cooperation, diversity and relationship. Underground fungus networks share nutrients with non-fungus neighbours.

Nature hates a gradient, and systems are always doing what they can to restore balance. When we see a behaviour, we can wonder ‘why?’ What influences have led to it being adaptive or protective?