The Human Hand

The Divine Proportion in Creation

There are many examples of the Divine Proportion / Golden Section found throughout the design of the universe and everything in it, but let's start with the most important thing first: You!   We'll need a few Fibonacci building blocks:

Each line is phi, or 1.61804..., times longer than the one before it. (Conversely, a section drawn at 0.61804 (or 61.8%, 1 / phi) of each line equals the length of the one before it.)

Let's start with something simple. Take your hand off your keyboard or mouse and look at the proportions of your index finger.

Each section of your index finger, from the tip to the base of the wrist, is larger than the preceding one by about the Fibonacci ratio of 1.618, also fitting the Fibonacci numbers 2, 3, 5 and 8.

By this scale, your fingernail is 1 unit in length.  Curiously enough, you also have 2 hands, each with 5 digits, and your 8 fingers are each comprised of 3 sections.  All Fibonacci numbers!  Is this simple coincidence or by design?

Your hand creates a golden section in relation to your arm, as the ratio of your forearm to your hand is also 1.618, the Divine Proportion.

The proportions of your face also show the same ratio. Beauty, in fact, seems to be defined by how closely facial features maintain the Divine Proportion.

In this section
 Real Signs of Intelligence • Fibonacci Convergence • The Human Hand • The Human Face • The Human Body