Reaction Diffusion Patterns

Welcome to my RD pattern shrine! This is where I'll talk about Reaction-Diffusion patterns. It's still a WIP because I haven't learned everything about them yet, but I do think they're pretty, so I'll update this with more solid stuff once I figure it out. Don't want to spout misinformation or anything here, haha.

To my understanding Reaction-Diffusion patterns are based off of reactions between two substances which diffuse and react (or eat each other) at different rates. Because of little differences in the environment that may sway these factors, as well as the substances themself, over a large scale you'd start to see complex patterns being formed by locations where one substance is more concentrated than the other one. To me it's kind of mind-bending but I also think it's really cool to think about. (Thank you, Alan Turing!)

(insert diagram of the two things reacting)

The patterns need two reactants: one which is added, an "A" chemical, and one which reacts with the "A" chemical and is removed from the system at a certain rate, a "B" chemical. The rate that "A" is added, the rate that "A" and "B" react with each other, the rates that "A" and "B" diffuse across the system, and the rate that "B" is removed from the system, are all factors which influence the cool pattern that will be created.

The cool spots and squiggles are super entertaining to look at, and even more entertaining to think about when you notice that the patterns on all sorts of critters seem to match up pretty nicely with them.

(insert photos of critters with RD patterns)

And don't even get me started on the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction! (I'll fill that part in later.)

Try making your own here! (This tool was made by the guy who animated the colorful tubes going down the staircase and making "nueeen nyeeeoo" noises as they do so. I love that video. Thank you for your service, Karl Sims.)