I just happened to wonder yesterday whether there actually was any scientific data on whether the golden ratio is actually significantly more pleasing than other ratios.
Turns out there isn't much data, and of what there is, it doesn't always point at a significant preference for certain ratios. And even where it does, and then where it actually points near the golden ratio, it's inconclusive whether people prefer 1.5, 1.618 or 1.666.
But yeah they do turn up in nature over and over again.
The "aesthetically pleasing" bit is just something that's been repeated for centuries, swallowed without thinking.
So if there actually were a preference, that sounds like a good explanation. Doesn't really mean it works the other way around, though.
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I just happened to wonder yesterday whether there actually was any scientific data on whether the golden ratio is actually significantly more pleasing than other ratios.
Turns out there isn't much data, and of what there is, it doesn't always point at a significant preference for certain ratios. And even where it does, and then where it actually points near the golden ratio, it's inconclusive whether people prefer 1.5, 1.618 or 1.666.
But yeah they do turn up in nature over and over again.
The "aesthetically pleasing" bit is just something that's been repeated for centuries, swallowed without thinking.
So if there actually were a preference, that sounds like a good explanation. Doesn't really mean it works the other way around, though.
also see: http://plus.maths.org/content/os/issue22/features/golden/ind...