Humans spent centuries trying to tame zebras—but nature made sure they’d always stay wild.

Stripes! Hexagons! They're everywhere! These patterns in nature might seem like aesthetic coincidences, but they are actually the result of physical processes that show up again and again, even in ...

The dizzying lines might distort a zebra’s outline, for instance, or make the animal look bigger, confusing predators. Take away their patterns, and the zebras before me look like small horses. Their ...