--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you take your thumb and your index…" description: "\"If you take your thumb and your index finger and look right where they meet - go ahead and do that now - and relax your hand, you'll see a crinkle, and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg" --- # If you take your thumb and your index finger and look… ![“If you take your thumb and your index finger and look right where they meet - go ahead and do that now - and relax your hand, you'll see a crinkle, and then a wrinkle within the crinkle, and a crinkle within the wrinkle. Right? Your body is covered with fractals.” quote by Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg) > “If you take your thumb and your index finger and look right where they meet - go ahead and do that now - and relax your hand, you'll see a crinkle, and then a wrinkle within the crinkle, and a crinkle within the wrinkle. Right? Your body is covered with fractals.” [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote illustrates that human bodies exhibit fractal patterns, revealing self‑similarity at multiple scales, like a crinkle within a wrinkle. **In simple terms:** Bodies display self‑similar fractal structures. Key Takeaway Self‑similarity appears in biology. Themes Pattern recognition Scale invariance Biology Mathematics Nature Mood Curiosity Awe Type Observation Scientific analogy When to use this quote - Observing hand skin - Studying natural patterns - Designing biomimetic textures Key Concepts Fractals Self‑similarity Physical anatomy Practical Applications - Educational illustration of fractals - Inspiring design of fractal‑based materials Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing fractal patterns change our view of biology? - What other body parts show similar self‑similarity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Covered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covered/) [Crinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crinkle-391262/) [Crinkle Crinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crinkle-crinkle-681092/) [Crinkle Wrinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crinkle-wrinkle-681090/) [Finger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finger/) [Finger Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finger-look-681093/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand/) [Index](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/index/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Meet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Thumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thumb/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Within](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/within/) [Wrinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrinkle/) [Wrinkle Crinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrinkle-crinkle-681091/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) [Your body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-body/) ## Related quotes > [It starts in my toes and I crinkle my nose. Wherever it goes I always know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colbie-caillat/it-starts-in-my-toes-and-i-crinkle-my-nose-wherever-it-goes-i-always/) [Colbie Caillat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colbie-caillat/) > [“I am less to you than your ivory Hermes or your silver Faun. You will like them always. How long will you like me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-am-less-to-you-than-your-ivory-hermes-or-your-silver-faun-you-will/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [What is the worst of woes that wait on age? What stamps the wrinkle deeper on the brow? To view each loved one blotted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/what-is-the-worst-of-woes-that-wait-on-age-what-stamps-the-wrinkle/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [When the body breaks down and you start to wrinkle, I think it's so bad,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/when-the-body-breaks-down-and-you-start-to-wrinkle-i-think-it-s-so-bad/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I was shocked that I even got the opportunity to audition for 'A Wrinkle in Time.' Meg Murry is a Caucasian girl in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-reid/i-was-shocked-that-i-even-got-the-opportunity-to-audition-for-a/) [Storm Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-reid/) > [The latest wrinkle is on wrinkles. There is a widespread belief that women can't grow old in television news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/the-latest-wrinkle-is-on-wrinkles-there-is-a-widespread-belief-that/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [The human heart will never wrinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-human-heart-will-never-wrinkle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think every woman, maybe every man, looks in the mirror and says, 'Oh my God, there's a wrinkle.' So we're all in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-tiegs/i-think-every-woman-maybe-every-man-looks-in-the-mirror-and-says-oh/) [Cheryl Tiegs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-tiegs/) > [There is no wrinkle-free life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-henderson/there-is-no-wrinkle-free-life/) [Paul Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-henderson/) > [I've only got one wrinkle, and I'm sitting on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-calment/i-ve-only-got-one-wrinkle-and-i-m-sitting-on-it/) [Jeanne Calment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-calment/) > [I'm a purist: I start to wrinkle my nose when the Cold War ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-m-a-purist-i-start-to-wrinkle-my-nose-when-the-cold-war-ends/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Every wrinkle has its story. You must have a lot of stories to tell. Happy 60th Birthday filled with lot of happiness and joy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-wrinkle-has-its-story-you-must-have-a-lot-of-stories-to-tell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When You Look In A Mirror and See a Wrinkle; Don;t Be Alarmed... The Wrinkles Just Confirms That You Have Laughed, Cried, Smiled, Frowned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-look-in-a-mirror-and-see-a-wrinkle-don-t-be-alarmed-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm getting a wrinkle above my eyebrow because I just can't stop lifting it, and I love that you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-m-getting-a-wrinkle-above-my-eyebrow-because-i-just-can-t-stop/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [... it's impossible to register any emotion without using some muscle which, in time, will produce a wrinkle. ... By the time she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/it-s-impossible-to-register-any-emotion-without-using-some-muscle/) [Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/) ## More by Ron Eglash > [While fractal geometry is often used in high-tech science, its patterns are surprisingly common in traditional African designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/while-fractal-geometry-is-often-used-in-high-tech-science-its/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [The best thing we can do is give students the tools for constructing their own identities - powerful new tools like African fractals -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/the-best-thing-we-can-do-is-give-students-the-tools-for-constructing/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [Mathematicians didn't invent infinity until 1877. So they thought it was impossible that Africans could be using fractal geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/mathematicians-didn-t-invent-infinity-until-1877-so-they-thought-it/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [There is no singular 'reason' why Africans use fractals, any more than a singular reason why Americans like rock music. Such enormous cultural practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/there-is-no-singular-reason-why-africans-use-fractals-any-more-than-a/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [Creating a body of mathematics is about intellectual labor, not some kind of transcendental revelation. There are plenty of important components of European fractal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/creating-a-body-of-mathematics-is-about-intellectual-labor-not-some/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [Fractal geometry is everywhere, even in lines drawn in the sand. It's the cycle of life... You see fractals in plants, in flowers. Within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/fractal-geometry-is-everywhere-even-in-lines-drawn-in-the-sand-it-s/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [Now in the 1980s, I happened to notice that if you look at an aerial photograph of an African village, you see fractals. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/now-in-the-1980s-i-happened-to-notice-that-if-you-look-at-an-aerial/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [I started collecting aerial photographs of Native American and South Pacific architecture; only the African ones were fractal. And if you think about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/i-started-collecting-aerial-photographs-of-native-american-and-south/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [My assumption was that all indigenous architecture would be more fractal. My reasoning was that all indigenous architecture tends to be organized from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/my-assumption-was-that-all-indigenous-architecture-would-be-more/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [The reason that Google was such a success is because they were the first ones to take advantage of the self-organizing properties of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/the-reason-that-google-was-such-a-success-is-because-they-were-the/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [I just toured around looking for fractals, and when I found something that had a scaling geometry, I would ask the folks what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/i-just-toured-around-looking-for-fractals-and-when-i-found-something/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) > [When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture very disorganized and thus primitive. It never occurred to them that the Africans might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/when-europeans-first-came-to-africa-they-considered-the-architecture/) [Ron Eglash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) [Explore all 13 Ron Eglash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/) ## More Ahead quotes > [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If I have a problem with somebody, I go ahead and say what's on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-hulkenberg/if-i-have-a-problem-with-somebody-i-go-ahead-and-say-what-s-on-my-mind/) [Nico Hulkenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-hulkenberg/) > [I once invested in a risky business. Quite a few people warned me not to do so, but I still went ahead and invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-once-invested-in-a-risky-business-quite-a-few-people-warned-me-not/) [Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/) > [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [In Life, We May Never Get The Same Opportunity Again, But There's Always Something Better Ahead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/in-life-we-may-never-get-the-same-opportunity-again-but-there-s/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [There is no such thing as disposable time if you want to stay ahead of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-thing-as-disposable-time-if-you-want-to-stay-ahead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm the kind of guy who comes home and checks scores for everything. I'm a sports fan in general, so I pretty much keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-m-the-kind-of-guy-who-comes-home-and-checks-scores-for-everything-i/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [People are flying you places in business class. Everyone wants to take pictures of you and find out information about you. It's a freak-out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/people-are-flying-you-places-in-business-class-everyone-wants-to-take/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [I wasn't putting my all into it and I was still managing to score goals, and that gave me something to dream about, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/i-wasn-t-putting-my-all-into-it-and-i-was-still-managing-to-score/) [Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/) > [There's no limit to what you can accomplish, but there's always someone one step ahead of you, so it's a constant uphill battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mary-stewart/there-s-no-limit-to-what-you-can-accomplish-but-there-s-always/) [Catherine Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mary-stewart/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) > [“one who takes the first step always remains one step ahead”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabi-shaheen/one-who-takes-the-first-step-always-remains-one-step-ahead/) [Rabi Shaheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabi-shaheen/) > [I am not interested to sing in Bollywood. I sing for only those actors whom I admire. I sing free of cost for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-not-interested-to-sing-in-bollywood-i-sing-for-only-those-actors/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) [Browse all 1,773 Ahead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you take your thumb and your index finger and look right where they meet - go ahead and do that now - and relax your hand, you'll see a crinkle, and then a wrinkle within the crinkle, and a crinkle within the wrinkle. Right? Your body is covered with fractals.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ron Eglash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-finger-and-look-right-where/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ahead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-finger-and-look-right-where/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/ron-eglash-34982_ahead_if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-fi_46736.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you take your thumb and your index finger and look right where they meet - go ahead and do that now - and…” — Ron Eglash", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ron Eglash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-eglash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you take your thumb and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-finger-and-look-right-where/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-eglash/if-you-take-your-thumb-and-your-index-finger-and-look-right-where/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```