4 ms·

Fractals Without A Computer

94 points by bigfoot 16y ago

mhb 16y ago
Growing them: http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/ http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/
greenlblue 16y ago
This is awesome. Someone finally figured out a clever use for the camera feedback loop.
- imurray 16y ago
  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 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A907544 Example feedback patterns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xm3EA3_XE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xm3EA3_XE
zeteo 16y ago
"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?
- greenlblue 16y ago
  Try and get back to us.
roadnottaken 16y ago
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.
- Devilboy 16y ago
  Now all you need is an app that shows the video feed in multiple windows you can drag around and you can get the exact same effect.
- jonhendry 16y ago
  Or with Mac OS X screen sharing, VNC, or similar.
n-ion 16y ago
Personally, i think this speaks to the way time works - but i've done A LOT of mushrooms....
juiceandjuice 16y ago
Technically most fractals occur without a computer.
- jarin 16y ago
  Like when they were discovered!
- pbhjpbhj 16y ago
  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 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.
nitfol 16y ago
_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.
Rhapso 16y ago
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.

94 points by bigfoot 16y ago

mhb 16y ago

Growing them: http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/ http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/

greenlblue 16y ago

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

imurray 16y ago
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 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A907544 Example feedback patterns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xm3EA3_XE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xm3EA3_XE

zeteo 16y ago

"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?

greenlblue 16y ago
Try and get back to us.

roadnottaken 16y ago

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.

Devilboy 16y ago
Now all you need is an app that shows the video feed in multiple windows you can drag around and you can get the exact same effect.
jonhendry 16y ago
Or with Mac OS X screen sharing, VNC, or similar.

n-ion 16y ago

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

juiceandjuice 16y ago

Technically most fractals occur without a computer.

jarin 16y ago
Like when they were discovered!
pbhjpbhj 16y ago
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 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.

nitfol 16y ago

_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.

Rhapso 16y ago

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.