10 Things You Need to Know About Fibonacci Numbers

​1. The Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio are interconnected. If you take any two successive (one after the other) Fibonacci Numbers, their ratio is very close to the Golden Ratio (Φ) which is approximately 1.618034...

​2. Fractal

By taking 2 sides of a rectangle in which the ratio of length and width is 1.618 we get a golden rectangle. This shape results in a fractal process that can be repeated into infinity — and which takes on the form of a spiral.

3. Cyclic Patterns

There are cyclic patterns in the final digits of the Fibonacci numbers. If you look at the final digit of each Fibonacci number there are 60 numbers that repeat. We say the series of final digits repeats with a cycle length of 60.

Suppose we look at the final two digits in the Fibonacci numbers. Do they have a pattern? Yes, there is a pattern here too. The last two digits repeat the same sequence again and again. The cycle length is 300 this time. 

So what about the last three digits? And the last four digits? And so on? For the last three digits, the cycle length is 1,500. For the last four digits, the cycle length is 15,000, and for the last five digits the cycle length is 150,000 and so on...

4. Nature

We see examples of the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio spiral all around us in nature on a daily basis. For example, the number of petals in a flower, the way tree branches split, snail shells, or the human body, are all examples of the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio.

5. Energy Flow

The Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio tend to maximize energy flow. This can be seen in the path falcons fly when approaching their prey and the way plants grow. It seems the way nature works is by using the golden ratio as optimal energy flow in time.

6. The Human Body

The golden ratio appears in several human body parts: 

• Human body, face and fingers
• Spiral on the human ear
• Eye position on the human face
• Human teeth
• Human fingers
• Hand and shoulder
• DNA spiral
• Human lung 
• Heart function
• Brainwaves

7. Body Temperature

Body temperature is a marker for measuring the timing of the circadian rhythm. Body temperature decreases to a minimum during sleep at around 04:00 hours and increases until the maximum of the rhythm is reached at about 18:00. 

The hours 04:00 and 19:00, on a 24-hour clock, would be at an angle of 137.5° (the golden angle). So: the golden ratio is controlling our circadian rhythm, which means the 24-hour day/night cycle is intimately linked to the golden ratio.

Also, if we take the golden ratio of the body temperature (i.e., 37C * 0.618 = 23C), we get the average room temperature.

8. Human Development

The Fibonacci sequence represents a new paradigm in human development modelling. In 2013, I showed that the Fibonacci sequence results in an eight-stage model of human development. 

The eight stages are: 

• Early Infancy (0–2 years)
• Toddler (2–4 years)
• Early Childhood (4–7 years)
• Middle Childhood (7–11 years)
• Adolescence (11–18 years)
• Young Adulthood (18–29 years)
• Middle Adulthood (29–48 years)
• Older Adulthood (48–78+ years)

9. Art and Music

The Fibonacci series and golden ratio are found in art and music. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” was based on the Golden Ratio. It is also claimed that classical composers like Mozart and Bartok used the Fibonacci series in some of their pieces.

10. Spiritual Experience

The Fibonacci sequence represents a new paradigm in predicting spiritual experience. In a recent study on the topic, I found that the FLCM algorithm predicted spiritual experiences at age 18 (Sacco, 2017). 

As more data becomes available, more understanding of the complexity of spiritual experience can be tackled. As a result, the FLCM is a new paradigm in studying spiritual experience.

If you want to learn more about the ever-present golden ratio check out our next blog post where we will look at the surprising truths and myths about the golden ratio.