|
Fractal of the Day
by Jim Muth
|
|
Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's fractal is active. It's not just sitting there like a bump on a log; it's up there on the screen, doing things for the whole world to see. And it's not just the activity that sets this particular image apart. Something about it is different. It is not normal. (As though there were such a thing as a 'normal' fractal.) Seeing so much activity from a single fractal, I had no trouble finding the name "Lots of Activity". Undecided as to whether a rating of 7 or 8 best describes the fractal's worth, I settled on a 7-1/2. The formula 1.3(Z^2)+10(Z^(-0.01))+C created the image when it was iterated with a maxiter of 1200. Most of the activity was created by setting the outside to <tdis> and the inside to <fmod>. With the normal flat equal-iteration bands and flat black inside, today's image is boring indeed. The parameter file renders in 10+ minutes on my tired old Pentium running at 200mhz. On newer faster machines it renders in less time. Those who would rather not run the attached parameter file will find the GIF image posted to: The fractal weather today was near perfect. After last evening's violent storm, today turned sunny and mild, with a temperature of 81F 27C, which made the fractal cats quite happy indeed. Now, on to the philosophy. For years, I have been seeing reports from those who claim to have experienced the paranormal and therefore know that it exists, while I, having never experienced anything paranormal, have been forced to sit aside, harboring doubts of their words and hoping that something scientifically impossible would happen to me to give me the demonstration I needed to become not a believer but a knower. Well, now it has happened. On seven consecutive nights, starting the Monday before the disaster, I dreamed the same vivid dream -- a dream unlike any I have had before -- a dream so powerful that it came in several episodes every night, with waking periods between. I won't go into the unpleasant details, other than to say that the dream was filled with death, destruction and an overwhelming sense of loss. In addition, during the week the dream was occurring, a close friend told me that she was experiencing a frightening sense of foreboding that she could not explain. She told me this before I told her of my recurring dream. My dream was quite specific, including many episodes of crashing planes, collapsing structures and maimed and dying people. After only the first night of the dream, I realized that it was something unusual. To start, I recalled the dream in perfect detail all through the following day. Normally, except in the case of an occasional lucid dream, the memories of my dreams vanish as I wake up. Also, the dream was so emotionally charged that it haunted me every waking moment for an entire week. And finally, on the night after the disaster, though I had difficulty getting to sleep due to the excitement, when I finally did fall asleep, I slept peacefully. The dream has not reappeared since. I now find myself in the position of those whose stories of paranormal experiences I could not quite believe. I know that by some impossible mechanism, I, or some deep part of me, actually saw into the future. I also know that to those who have not had such an experience, my report will be seen as just one more incredible claim made by a mistaken observer. This is understandable, for the ability to actually see the future is contrary to every intuitive idea of time and space. But my world has changed. What has happened has become an indelible part of my memories, and my task now that I know precognition exists, is to ponder the mechanism by which such an impossible thing could take place. One thing for certain is that it had nothing to do with my physical body or my everyday mind, both of which are firmly trapped in the linear time flow. Dismissing the dream and the foreboding of my friend as coincidences may satisfy those who did not personally experience these things, but I know that what happened to me was far beyond mere coincidence. My future ponderings will be not only about the nature of reality, but about the nature of mankind itself. At least one of these, and likely both, are not as we have long assumed. That's it for today. Until next time, take care, and I'll see you soon. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com |
START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================
Lots_of_Activity { ; time=0:10:44.83--SF5 on a P200
reset=2001 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm
formulaname=MandelbrotMix4 function=ident passes=1
center-mag=-10.38329738516965000/+0.52767985499265\
670/2532769/1/-177.5 params=1.3/2/10/-0.01/0/0
float=y maxiter=1200 inside=fmod outside=tdis
colors=000x00v00s06q0Dn0Km3PdKmWFpPAqI6tA1v30w00x0\
0z00z00z00z00z00z00z00w00t30q60n90kA0j90g73d6Ac4I`\
3PY1WW0cT0iS_qCzz0zkDxYVvKks4zLt4ImDHgLDaSCW_9Pf7K\
m4Dt37z96aD6CI60O33S0IW0W`0kd0zi0zq7zxOzfMzOLn4KcA\
LiFMmKOqOPvSRzWSz`TzdVzVMzMDsD4g40YA3SHAOMIISPDWW9\
`TAcRCfODiLFkIHnFIqDKOLR0SY0PY0LV0HU0DS07R03O00N00\
M32J97GFLOLSMSYKYcIcjHipFpvCvzAzz9zz7zz9zqAxfCvWDs\
LFp9Hm0HqRWvpkzzzwzzvzztzzsxzqtzppznkzmgzkczj_ziVz\
gRzfMzdKzcHzaFz`Dv_ApY9kW7gW6cV3YT1TS0PR0KP0FO0AO0\
6YFAg`FqtKRzY0zkzzPwzLvxHtpDqg9p_6nR1kI0j90i00i60i\
A0iF3iK7iOAiTFiYKiaMifRijTjkRjkPkmOkmMmmLmnKnnInpH\
ppFppDqqCqqAqq9nnAkmAikAgjAdiAagC_fCYdCVaCS`CP_DOY\
DLWDIVDFTDDSDMVIVWLc_Ok`StcVzdYzf`zgWziTzjRzkOzmLx\
nIwpFvqCss9qt6pv3kq4gn6cj6_g7Vc9R`9MYAITCDRC9MD4KF\
0FF0CH09H06D04C01A007006004101300400400C06I9FPIOVS\
Va`cgjkmssgpvcmwV06d01n00
}
frm:MandelbrotMix4 {; Jim Muth
a=real(p1), b=imag(p1), d=real(p2), f=imag(p2),
g=1/f, h=1/d, j=1/(f-b), z=(-a*b*g*h)^j,
k=real(p3)+1, l=imag(p3)+100, c=fn1(pixel):
z=k*((a*(z^b))+(d*(z^f)))+c,
|z| < l
}
END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================
|
times.
