The difference in scale between a single human brain and the universe — even the tiny part we can see of the observable universe — is vast beyond compare. But if you’ve seen side-by-side pictures of them, you may have noticed that the brain’s network of neurons is stunningly similar to the network of galaxies that make up the universe.

Amazingly, this networked, node-and-conduit shape is not limited to the cosmos and our brains. Tree roots, ant colonies, glowing city lights as viewed from space — all of them seem to follow the same general format, whether their contents are water molecules, food carried by ants, or electricity.

The truth behind all this may actually be pretty simple: any object that wants to get larger and more organized must do so within the constraints of the same fundamental rules of reality, namely gravity, electromagnetism, the weak force, and the strong force. Ultimately, it seems the network is the most efficient structure for sustaining complexity at every level.