Mathematical biology: decoding the rhythms of the natural world

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Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home.

This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Mathematics and Biology

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Bard Ermentrout, of the University of Pittsburgh in the US, who uses advanced mathematics to decipher patterns in nature, from seasons to colour schemes to heartbeats.

This resource also contains an interview with Dr Ermentrout.

The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Dr Ermentrout’s research and taks for students to explore patterns in nature themselves.

This resource was first published on Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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