Have you ever examined timber floorboards and pondered why they look the way they do? Perhaps you admired the super-fine grain, a stunning red hue or a swirling knot, and wondered how it came to be?

Limber pine, as seen here along the Sky High Trail, San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Bernardino Mountains, California, can have smooth bark, which discourages bark beetles. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia ...

Gregory Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...