Watch a snowflake grow atom by atom using Diffusion-Limited Aggregation on a hexagonal grid. Six-fold symmetry emerges naturally as particles randomly walk and stick, forming unique crystal branches.
DLA: random-walking particles attach when they touch the growing crystal. The hexagonal grid enforces 6-fold symmetry. Branching occurs because tips grow faster — they're more exposed to incoming particles.
Adjust temperature (affects branching) and sticking probability. Lower temperature produces more dendritic (branched) crystals; higher temperature makes compact hexagonal plates.
No two snowflakes are alike because each crystal follows a unique path through the atmosphere, encountering different temperatures and humidity. A single crystal can contain 10¹⁸ water molecules.