Symmetry is a pervasive criterion for beauty in art and science alike. Symmetrical shapes abound in nature. But why? A prevailing assumption is that it must afford some advantage in terms of fitness – nature must have tried various shapes and those that are symmetrical are somehow more useful. But Oxford physicist Dr. Ard Louis thinks there's a better explanation.

Ard's research helps us better understand how evolution works – particularly, how evolution develops self-assembling machines such as the proteins in our bodies. In his recent research, he and his colleagues compiled data from a variety of sources such as protein clusters and RNA molecules and found that there was a disproportionate bias towards more symmetrical structures in nature. The reason for this, their work suggests, is evolution's preference for simple and efficient algorithms.

In my interview with Ard, we discussed what led him from his childhood in the jungles of Gabon to becoming a theoretical physicist who studies evolution; the role of symmetry and aysmmetry in nature; when beauty is an asset or liability for theory in science; and the broader significance of beauty in science.

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