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Fractal of the Day
by Jim Muth
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Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: The FOTD rating continues to slip. Two days ago it was 8; yesterday it was 7. Today's rating is down to a 6, which is only a little above average. I must do something about this tendency to degradation before it gets out of control. But even a 6-rated fractal is worth consideration, so before we set out in a new direction, let's consider today's image. For today's fractal we go to the Z^(2.005)+C near-Mandeloid and check the area around the large midget on the main stem. When we do this, the first thing we notice is that the stem has split far enough for the large midget to have divided into two totally disconnected midgets. Between the two midgets lies an area of mixed chaos and railyard features, filled with an abundance of sub-midgets. Today's scene is located near the point where one of the railroad tracks merges into an area of chaos. I named the image "Switched". After all, one thing a railyard is full of is switches. Actually, the scene has more chaos than railroad features, so a better name might have been something like 'Chaotic Express' or 'Journey to Chaos'. Regardless of the name, the image renders in only 4 minutes, which makes it worth the effort of rendering. And the completed GIF image is always available on the FOTD web site at: Philosophy fans, about three months ago I was in philosophical mode, discussing things such as the meaning of life. When I left off, I was ready to tackle the question of the nature of 'the self'. What is this conscious something that comes and goes, day after day, throughout our lives, yet stays the same, even while the contents of our minds and material of our brains constantly change? In the three months since I left off, I have gotten nowhere. Until now I have been trying to answer the question in scientific terms, and the best answer I can come up with is that it is a unique pattern in the brain that stays the same. But this answer raises more problems than it solves, one of the most puzzling being what would happen if my unique pattern were to be identified and exactly reproduced in several different material units that duplicate the brains? I doubt that I could be in more than one place at a time, but in this case, what would prevent it? Paradoxes such as this are usually a sign of a wrong assumption, such as the ability to travel backward in time or know the future. I am now at the stage of trying to decide what is the wrong assumption I am making. It could be in the nature of the 'self', or the nature of 'reality', or perhaps there is an easy answer, such as a non-material 'soul' type of thing, which just won't fit into the world of science. I'll do occasional updates as my ponderings progress. Thursday was near perfect here at Fractal Central. The sky was fair, the temperature reached only 84F 29C, and the humidity was lower. The cats showed their satisfaction by spending most of the afternoon out of sight in the holly patch. Today is starting the same. For me it looks like another slow day. Slow days are enjoyable, but we don't want too many of them. Slow day or not, the next FOTD will appear in 24 hours, complete with fractal. Until then, take care, and take it easy. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com |
START PARAMETER FILE=======================================
Switched { ; time=0:04:25.02--SF5 on a P200
reset=2004 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm
formulaname=MandelbrotVE-VP passes=1 inside=0
center-mag=-1.74880239140019400/+0.001111975741346\
33/9.387609e+011/1/-147.6/-0.093535702628639486
params=2.005/0/0/0/0/0/2/0 float=y maxiter=1000
logmap=152 periodicity=10 mathtolerance=0.05/1
colors=000d3fb4c`5aZ6ZX6WV7TU8RS9OQALOAIMBGKCDIDAG\
E7FE5EH8EKAENCDQFDUHDWJC_MCbOCdQBgTBjVBmXAq_AtcAvh\
AxmLurVrvcpz_izVczRYzMRcILUDFP99Kmz1hv6crAZmEUhJPc\
NK_RFYWAX_5Wc4Vg8bmCirGpwIquJqsKqqLqoMqmNqkOqiHrnA\
ss3txXpozmfwictfaqbZn_XkXVhTSeQQcNOeLNfKNgJMhIMiHM\
gJQeKTdMXbN_`Pb_QfYSiWTlVVpTWsSXvWZsZ`qabndclgeikg\
gnhdqjbtl_wmYsnVonSkoPgoNcpK_pHXpFSaPNNZI9g_9ap9Wh\
RXahXVjX_lRd`LhPFfRJdTNbUR`WUZYYXZaV`eTbhRclPepOfs\
NilNlfNo_MrUMuNMxHMzBJuFHpIFkLDfOBbR8YU6TX4O_2Jb0F\
e5La9QYEWUI`QNfMRkIVpEYmJ`jObgTedYgabjZglWloTqqRvm\
UtiXsf_rbapZdoWgnSjmOlkLojHriEthCrZBpPAnF9m5Dk8HiA\
LhCPfETeGXcI_bKc`Mg_OkYQoXSsVUvUWrUToURlUPhUNeULbU\
JZUHWUFTUDSUFRUHQVIPWKOXLNYNMZOL_QK`RJaTIbUHcWGdX9\
eTEfNIgHMhCLiHKjMJkRIlWHm`GneGojFqgEsdEuaDw_CxXCzU\
BzRAzPAzM9zJ8zG8zE7zB6z86z69zABzDEzGGzJJzMLzONzQPz\
TRzVTzXVzZXzaizjhzkhzlfzi }
frm:MandelbrotVE-VP {; Jim M. variable escape and power
a=p1, z=p2, c=pixel+p3,
b=sqr(real(p4)):
z=z^(a)+c,
|z| < b }
END PARAMETER FILE=========================================
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times.
