Abstract: The emergence of patterns is one of the world’s most durable mysteries. Some patterns (clouds, zebra stripes) form in space, while others (the ebb and flow of tides, cardiac rhythms) form in time. Although there is no general theory of pattern formation in systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium, new analysis techniques enable quantitative comparisons of patterns such as the spirals in a frog egg, a fibrillating heart, and an ocean eddy. Insight into pattern formation in diverse systems of different sizes and different underlying mechanisms can be gained from a common approach, as will be illustrated with examples from chemistry, physics, and biology.