

Fractals Without A Computer - bigfoot
http://scientopia.org/blogs/goodmath/2010/11/02/fractals-without-a-computer/

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nitfol
_Godel, Escher, Bach_ describes similar phenomena with camera feedback loops.
When I read GEB, I wondered if it would be possible to create a Sierpinski
triangle using four specially shaped/curved mirrors. I briefly played with
povray, but didn't figure it out.

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mhb
Growing them:

<http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/>

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roadnottaken
You can do something similar, although not quite as intricate, by simply
pointing your webcam at a computer screen that is displaying the webcam-feed.
You get infinitely repeating patterns that respond in beautiful ways to subtle
tilts and nudges of the webcam. It's really pretty impressive and worth 5
minutes of your time if you have an external webcam around.

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jonhendry
Or with Mac OS X screen sharing, VNC, or similar.

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greenlblue
This is awesome. Someone finally figured out a clever use for the camera
feedback loop.

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imurray
Someone figured out _a_ use a long time ago: the Doctor Who (British SciFi)
opening sequence. And apparently before that for _Amahl and the Night
Visitors_ , a drama broadcast in 1951: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A907544>

Example feedback patterns: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xm3EA3_XE>

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juiceandjuice
Technically most fractals occur without a computer.

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pbhjpbhj
Doesn't it depend on your precise definition of Fractal. In nature they're not
self-similar repetitions at altered scale but approximate the same¹. There is
always a limitation in nature of resolution (lumpiness of atoms) just as no
true circle can exist in nature (at least in our realm Plato², please correct
me if I'm wrong).

So technically most (all I think) fractals do not occur extent in reality but
only the mathematical description of them occurs.

\--

¹ note the precise definition of "similar" in geometry,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similarity_%28geometry%29>. ² I can't recall
Plato's take on [perfect] forms of biological "shapes" like trees and such.

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Rhapso
Does real-time video not at the very least involve a micro-controller? So
arguably this is one way to make fractals WITH a computer. It looks cool and
video feedback does make nice effects.

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zeteo
"what they’ve done is set up three screens, in a triangular pattern"

Triangular pattern doesn't say very much. Is this supposed to mean that the
trick will work iff the screens are not collinear?

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greenlblue
Try and get back to us.

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n-ion
Personally, i think this speaks to the way time works - but i've done A LOT of
mushrooms....

