Scientists have pondered the question for centuries. In some cases, the correlation may just be coincidence. In other situations, the ratio exists because that particular growth pattern evolved as the most effective. In plants, this may mean maximum exposure for light-hungry leaves or maximized seed arrangement.

While experts agree that the Fibonacci sequence is common in nature, there is less agreement about whether the Fibonacci sequence is expressed in certain instances of art and architecture. Although some books say that the Great Pyramid and the Parthenon (as well as some of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings) were designed using the golden ratio, when this is tested, it's found to be false [source: Markowsky].

Mathematician George Markowsky pointed out that both the Parthenon and the Great Pyramid have parts that don't conform to the golden ratio, something left out by people determined to prove that Fibonacci numbers exist in everything. The term "the golden mean" was used in ancient times to denote something that avoided access in either direction, and some people have conflated the golden mean with the golden ratio, which is a more recent term that came into existence in the 19th century.
We celebrate Fibonacci Day Nov. 23rd not just to honor the forgotten mathematical genius Leonardo Fibonacci, but also because when the date is written as 11/23, the four numbers form a Fibonacci sequence. Leonardo Fibonacci is also commonly credited with contributing to the shift from Roman numerals to the Arabic numerals we use today.
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