“Imagine great snowstorms over the oceans, in the mountains, deep in the clouds for millions of years on this planet—billions of tiny snow crystals have been whirling about, and no two of them are the same. I mean, think about it. How long have the birds been here? They came not long after dinosaurs, so basically, way before us. Can you imagine how many billions of feathers they’ve produced since then? From ostriches, to terns, to hummingbirds, to gannets, to penguins…there are no two alike. This is a duck’s feather. It’s almost incomprehensible; billions of amazingly complex patterns, permanently whirling around as they never repeat themselves.”

(Source: tttreble)