Fractals

Perfection

As well as entropy, I have long been fascinated by something very different  -  fractals.

Let's not pretend I have any idea about the mathematical definition, calculation or explanation - no, and neither do I really understand the process by which fractal art is produced. But I do understand that fractals show self-duplicating patterns and that computers were probably designed to make amazing images based on fractal calculations. (I said probably.) All the useful stuff came later when the possibilities of computer became clearer -  but I bet you anything that the original scientists were a lot more interested in fractals than they were in online shopping or social networking!

Natural fractals in a cauliflower.

No - there are no complicated or intellectual reasons I love fractals. I love them simply because they are amazing and I could look at them forever - probably literally!

Another natural fractal - a seaurchin

Probably the most famous fractal is the Mandelbrot Fractal - a distinctive shape in its own right - but just imagine, anywhere you zoom in on is an exact copy of this original shape with repetitions of this shape over and again.

A fascinating YouTube zoom into a Mandelbrot Fractal - mindblowing!





I feel better for sharing this. Hope you enjoy it too.