k.i.s.s. (keep it simple stupid)

For me, some of the more eye-catching subjects, are the simplest. They are eye-catching precisely because of their simplicity. Aristotle wrote “Nature operates in the shortest way possible.”  When I was an engineering student, there was an acronym often tossed around: KISS, which stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. It is a nod to the Occam’s Razor. If you are not familiar with Occam’s Razor, I recommend googling it, it’s fascinating (if you are in the mood for a rabbit hole). The idea of simplicity in deciding between theories has been assimilated into common culture as the widespread layman’s formulation that “the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.” Once again, I digress. This scrub tree–one of those volunteer trees that grow beside parking lots, caught my attention today because of it’s elegantly simple branching: Reach, branch right. Reach, branch left. Repeat. A first-year software engineering algorithm.

winter branches/alternating branching

P.S. I do not know what kind of scrub tree this is. If any of you recognize the bark..I’d love to know.