tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post7057657959061109331..comments2024-03-22T11:32:57.801-07:00Comments on The Alien Next Door: What the Fractal?...Images of ChaosNina Munteanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-58435580785391266952010-07-07T07:28:54.649-07:002010-07-07T07:28:54.649-07:00Yes, essentially... infinitely interesting, isn...Yes, essentially... infinitely interesting, isn't it?... :)Nina Munteanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-82448604390058986862007-12-30T13:15:00.000-08:002007-12-30T13:15:00.000-08:00That's wonderful, Bob... I am amazed at Nature's g...That's wonderful, Bob... I am amazed at Nature's genius for portraying infinity... Thanks for the neat story. I can tell from your recital that it affected you, it was one of those "aha" moments that live with us always.Nina Munteanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-35963961155108191742007-11-15T02:37:00.000-08:002007-11-15T02:37:00.000-08:00Way back in the 1990s, creating fractals were the ...Way back in the 1990s, creating fractals were the driving force behind my constantly updating my computers to squeeze more processing power out of them. I'd found a free DOS-based program called Franctint - which I think might still be available even now ... cripes, yes! http://spanky.triumf.ca/www/fractint/fractint.html - and was instantly fascinated by the intricate patterns it produced (even though, once upon a time, they sometimes took DAYS to render on my 80386 computer!). There are many more fractal generators around now, but I still have a soft spot for Fractint!<BR/><BR/>Since then, I've come to recognize fractals everywhere in nature. The most striking moment I recall was one day, at an army training ground near where I used to live, when walking the dog along a sandy gully where the tanks used to thunder along in training, my attention was caught by the sinuous flow of the steep, twisting, winding sides of the gully with the trees and shrubs growing along its upper edge, and the way the rain had eroded bits of it away. Looking closer in, where grass and dainty flowers replaced the shrubs, and closer still, where really tiny plants had rooted themselves near where the gully wall became the flatter ground of the track, <I>it was all exactly the same</I>, only proportionately smaller. And smaller. And smaller still ... and suddenly, for a few moments I felt as though I was looking down on a grand canyon from miles above - a vivid change of perception that's stuck in my memory these past 20-odd years, such was the power of the impression it left on me. Even now, just recalling it to write about it here, it sends a little shiver of amazement up my spine.<BR/><BR/>Nature's a wonderful thing!Bob Kingsleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01659992669992446860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-45998784969246630382007-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:002007-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00Jean-Luc, I wouldn't miss it for the world! Lookin...Jean-Luc, I wouldn't miss it for the world! Looking forward to it!<BR/><BR/>WalksFarWoman: makes sense that you love fractals. You are such a talented photographer with an eye for beauty and the splendor of the world. Appreciate your comment. :)Nina Munteanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00311070435293186699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-45510998935840386022007-11-13T12:18:00.000-08:002007-11-13T12:18:00.000-08:00Nina - I'm in love with the beauty of fractals. I ...Nina - I'm in love with the beauty of fractals. I find great pleasure in using free programmes such as (Tierazone, Fractal Forge & Fractal Explorer)that can generate such beautiful designs. For highly individual effects you can even load your own photos into the software so that you end up with a totally unique result. <BR/><BR/>I have no mathematical gift so sins, atan dimension, stalks, sum of squares and cos etc. are a mystery to me but thank you for a very enlightening post. I love the way you explain things in terms that people can digest. You have a great gift.WalksFarWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16442182069333713270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8584840770244929.post-80607479701825411912007-11-13T12:02:00.000-08:002007-11-13T12:02:00.000-08:00Thanks for another super word, Nina. I always lear...Thanks for another super word, Nina. I always learn something!<BR/><BR/>The Enterprise Christmas Party Invitation is now on my Journal! Hope you can come.Jean-Luc Picardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01689798190618944262noreply@blogger.com