From complex, intricate landscapes and ecosystems; to the symbiotic relationships between life and the environment; nature provides enormous deposits of beauty, awe and opportunities for learning and knowledge. Discover why butterflies are a perfect representation of nature and take a closer look at their magical world of wonder.
Did you know that the much-loved colourful wings of butterflies are a result of light’s interaction with and passage through fine structures found within the wings? These interactions alter the light’s pathway to create vibrant colour. It is such amazing achievements by nature that enlighten the process of discovery and prompt us to look deeper into nature to understand its majesty and intricacies and to learn from them.
Flutter provides an opportunity for Gateway customers and community to engage in a world of everchanging colour and to be delighted by a vivid vista of butterflies. An opportunity for delightful discovery as to how nature creates phenomena from which we have much to learn from.
What Inspired Flutter at Gateway by Skunk Control
Nature is remarkable. Over the millennia it has crafted wonders that take our breath away, confound us and ultimately inspires us. It has created systems that make best use of natural resources, systems that conserve energy and systems that undergo change and evolve.
One example of nature’s majesty is that of butterflies and their highly vivid coloured wings. It is the internal fine structure within the wings of butterflies that provides a physical obstacle course for light to overcome in its pathway through butterfly wings. Light’s passage through these fine structures (scale like) found deep within the butterfly wings, alters its passage and selects for certain colours of light (certain coloured light) to become visible to an observer and provide for astonishingly vibrant and vivid colours that butterflies are well known for. This ability for the fine micro-structures of butterfly wings to select for certain colours of light and provide an accessible example for delightful discovery. This provides a very approachable example demonstrating the physics of light, the beauty of nature and the link between art and science.
We know that our pathway in life never follows a straight line and is full of interactions. It is these interactions/experience that influence and play a role in how we traverse the world and grow into our present selves. Light too, is also affected by its interactions with nature. With light, certain physical interactions allow for certain colours of light to manifest. Nature is remarkable, as is the science that underpins it and as is the journey of discovery that is found around every corner.
- Nick Athanasiou, Creative Director - Skunk Control