Imagine grasshoppers distributed evenly across a dry field. As the temperature rises, the grasshoppers start to sweat. The field catches fire in a few spots and starts to spread. What kind of burn pattern will appear in the field? If the grasshoppers sweat more, or less, or if the fire spreads faster, or slower--how will that alter the burn pattern?

From spotty leopards to stripy zebras, nature has no shortage of distinct patterns on animals and plants. Now, the age-old question of how these patterns developed may have finally been solved. Scientists have shown that the same physical process that helps remove dirt from laundry could play a role in how tropical fish get their colourful spots and stripes. For their study, the team at the University of Colorado Boulder drew on the groundbreaking work of British computer pioneer Alan Turing, dating back more than 70 years. They believe their findings could help develop new materials and even new drugs.