Cyclical systems in nature — from river basins to human lungs to stellar dynamos — operate as relaxation oscillators, spending measurable time accumulating energy and measurable time releasing it. By computing a single dimensionless metric, the Accumulation–Release Asymmetry (ARA) ratio, across publicly available datasets in biology, earth science, and astrophysics, a consistent taxonomy emerges. Systems cluster into discrete bands on a 0-to-2 scale, with the golden ratio (φ ≈ 1.618) marking the attractor for unforced, self-organising engines. Deviation from this ratio correlates with external forcing, managed intervention, or pathological degradation. This paper presents the heuristic framework, the supporting data, an honest account of its limitations, and an invitation to falsification.
Dylan La Franchi (Sun,) studied this question.