The molecular structure of a water molecule discourages the formation of equilateral triangles. As snow crystals evolve, open hexagons form due to stresses in their molecules. These radial formations exhibit beauty through symmetry and an endless variety of detail. The eye/brain response to this beauty equals captivation. Scientific visualization is born out of this captivation. Like explorers in ancient Rome, guided by a Ptolemaic map, we too explore a multitude of worlds captured in the random beauty of free-falling snowflakes. This captivation begs the question: which came first, the aesthetics of science or our affinity towards design? The answer may be irrelevant - beauty is what it is. But, you could (and should) believe that the world is one huge living entity - beauty is it's survival mechanism. Humans are designed to preserve beauty, and therefore, we are designed to preserve the world.
Go to http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals
-joe
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