Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: wolfnowl on August 25, 2011, 01:30:58 am

Title: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: wolfnowl on August 25, 2011, 01:30:58 am
Hi Folks:

Just watched a fascinating Nova show on fractal geometry: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/hunting-hidden-dimension.html  If you think that sounds as dry as dust, check it out for yourself!  (BTW, dust storms follow fractal patterns too).

Mike.
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: tom b on August 25, 2011, 02:34:03 am
The link didn't work for those of us downunder but I did manage to find a video here (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6917200224135375895) that I could play.

Cheers,
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Josh-H on August 25, 2011, 06:21:55 am
Thanks for the link Mike - Fascinating documentary.
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: francois on August 25, 2011, 06:55:06 am
The link didn't work for those of us downunder but I did manage to find a video here (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6917200224135375895) that I could play.

Cheers,
Blocked in Switzerland too…
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Patricia Sheley on August 25, 2011, 12:42:12 pm
Excellent...nice treat Mike...I think Minor knew this deeply....
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Patricia Sheley on August 26, 2011, 09:32:19 am
This has been a powerful number of months...started with seeing Paul Caponigro's prints in Maine, many times over the summer months...those who have suffered me over the years know my absolute belief in the interconnectedness of all existence which has become a part of my attempts to have it rise from images this summer and to seek it out in past images where I had not awakened to it's presence.

When I said Minor knew this (fractals)...it sent me back to notes beginning in the late 50's through his departure from this earth in 1976...I spent the night with (one of my favorite)  "...Manifestations".

I am more convinced than ever, but the deliciousness is that he expressed this awareness through the spaces in between.
The feared rooms in which I have been dwelling these past months are exploding with visions totally unexpected and exiting to this common woman's being...the above film /documentary added to the clarity slider big time! Thank you for posting it... Patricia
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 26, 2011, 09:47:17 am
This has been a powerful number of months...started with seeing Paul Caponigro's prints in Maine, many times over the summer months...those who have suffered me over the years know my absolute belief in the interconnectedness of all existence which has become a part of my attempts to have it rise from images this summer and to seek it out in past images where I had not awakened to it's presence.

When I said Minor knew this (fractals)...it sent me back to notes beginning in the late 50's through his departure from this earth in 1976...I spent the night with (one of my favorite)  "...Manifestations".

I am more convinced than ever, but the deliciousness is that he expressed this awareness through the spaces in between.
The feared rooms in which I have been dwelling these past months are exploding with visions totally unexpected and exiting to this common woman's being...the above film /documentary added to the clarity slider big time! Thank you for posting it... Patricia
You struck a nerve with me, Pat. I was scheduled to bus up to Rockland this weekend to see Paul Caponigro's show, staying a couple of nights on my brother's sailboat (he and his wife are on their annual summer cruise off the Maine coast). But Hurricane Irene has cancelled my plan, as my brother has to take his boat to safer harbor (Booth Bay) for the storm. I will get up there one way or other before October 9, when the show ends.

I agree with you that Minor had an intuitive sense of fractals, and certainly of the connectedness of all existence.

I'm quite familiar with fractals, but I haven't taken time to watch the video that Mike posted yet. I will this weekend (if we don't lose power in the storm.)

Eric
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Justan on August 26, 2011, 12:18:26 pm
Great vid! I spent some time several years back writing C based programs that produced fractal images. After viewing the article I poked around and found that Fractals has become an evolved set of tools that are widely applied in a number of technical disciplines.

Thanks for the link!
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Patricia Sheley on August 26, 2011, 01:20:24 pm
You struck a nerve with me, Pat. I was scheduled to bus up to Rockland this weekend to see Paul Caponigro's show, staying a couple of nights on my brother's sailboat (he and his wife are on their annual summer cruise off the Maine coast). But Hurricane Irene has cancelled my plan, as my brother has to take his boat to safer harbor (Booth Bay) for the storm. I will get up there one way or other before October 9, when the show ends.

I agree with you that Minor had an intuitive sense of fractals, and certainly of the connectedness of all existence.

I'm quite familiar with fractals, but I haven't taken time to watch the video that Mike posted yet. I will this weekend (if we don't lose power in the storm.)

Eric

So sorry Eric ...and the conditions for that beautiful sailboat of your brother's will be magnificent after the storm moves through. Son pulled his from Kittery and I am watching two of my ancient beloved maples being taken down in front of our old farmhouse ahead of the storm...

I enjoyed an evening talk at Farnsworth a few weeks ago by PC. It was nice hearing where his mind was wandering. Made some interesting observations...Hope you are somehow able to get on the water while your brother is still in the wind....and as for the show it is really one of the best they have hung to date.They''ve done a full catalogue but doesn't come even close to quality necessary to offer the beauty of his prints. Fair breezes..
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: RSL on August 26, 2011, 04:01:00 pm
Fascinating, Mike. I've played with fractals before. You used to be able to buy software that would produce them, and, in fact if you're a programmer you can build software that'll produce them. The results can be beautiful almost beyond belief.
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Tim Gray on August 26, 2011, 07:48:24 pm
Fascinating stuff - really enjoyed the video.  If you're interested in messing around with the Julia set there is a fairly sophisticated open source generator at http://apophysis.org/

I've played with this a bit and got some interesting results.

(http://www.timgrayphotography.com/galleries/20080517-fractal/content/bin/images/large/41_grand_julailn3.jpg)

(http://www.timgrayphotography.com/galleries/20080517-fractal/content/bin/images/large/27_20080516.jpg)

(http://www.timgrayphotography.com/galleries/20080810-fractals/content/bin/images/large/2008080727_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: wolfnowl on August 27, 2011, 12:32:48 am
I like playing with Apophysis and also Tierazon but there are others as well.  Do a search for 'Amazing Seattle Fractals' and there are links there (on my phone at the moment).

BTW if you can't see the video because of geography you can use an IP blocker like Hotspot Shield.  It's a bit of a pain but it works.

Mike.
Title: Re: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Post by: Dale Villeponteaux on August 30, 2011, 04:36:07 pm
Jackson Pollocks paintings also show self-similarity at various levels, thus mimicking the organization of natural structures.