Aristotle spent much of his life observing the world closely, from the stars in the sky to many creatures of land and sea. These words come from his biological writings, wherein he argued that even the most innocuous parts of the natural world — such as bugs, leaves, and dirt — reveal something beautiful when we look closely. Nature doesn’t work by accident; everything has a purpose, and even the smallest parts contribute to the larger whole. More than 2,000 years later, the ancient Greek philosopher’s sentiment still rings true: Grandiosity isn’t required for something to be awe-inspiring. Sometimes, life’s greatest marvels are found in the simple things.