FOTD -- December 07, 2003 (Rating 6) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's image is a dynamic one -- an image of a midget in the Z^1.09+C Mandeloid, which has been sliced 96 turns up the hyperspatial logarithmic spiral. It is incredible that a midget could be found in a fractal with an exponent as close to unity as 1.09, but today's image does not lie. The midget is there for all the world to see. But it doesn't look like a midget. It looks more like a comet tearing through the solar ejecta, complete with coma and tail. This appearance reflects the shape of its oversized parent fractal. I could have named the picture something like 'N.E.O.' or 'Solar Wind', but before giving the image a name, I looked more closely and noticed in the comet's tail an object that vaguely resembles a scorpion. I named the image "Scorpio the Scorpion", which is the name assigned the constellation in the southern sky that resembles a scorpion. Scorpio is also a sign of the zodiac, and one of the 12 signs of Astrology. Do I believe in Astrology? Yes, the study known as Astrology most certainly does exist. Do I believe that the science, (or pseudoscience), of Astrology has any truth behind it? That is a much harder question to answer. Astrologers certainly do believe that Astrology is a valid study, or they would have discovered its uselessness long ago, and it would have died. (Of course, they could be charlatans, preying on the gullible.) Skeptical scientists certainly are convinced that Astrology is a waste of time and effort, for they know of no possible way the position of the heavenly bodies could affect the character and fate of a person on earth. IMO, the question is not quite decided. I assume the validity of Astrology is greatly overblown, but is it zero? A little more than wish fulfillment would appear to be necessary to keep Astrology alive and apparently well for these thousands of years. I look at the clock on the wall above my desk and see that there is a correspondence between the position of the hands and the position of the sun in the sky. Every evening, when the hour hand reaches six, night falls. The hour hand does not affect the sun, yet the correspondence does exist. Does some similar correspondence exist that could give Astrology a modicum of validity without the need for the heavenly bodies to exert an effect on a person on earth? Almost but not absolutely certain- ly, it does not. Well, I've been reading 'Skeptical Inquirer', a magazine that always makes me pause to ponder, and I find myself once again drifting from the fractal topic. Today's image rates a 6, the most common rating of the FOTD's. Its render time is just under 9 minutes on my machine. This time is a bit slow, and may be cut by more than half by downloading the completed GIF image from: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> or from: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> The snow ended by noon on Saturday, followed in the afternoon by some sun, but the damage had already been done. Even though the temperature rose to just above freezing, the ground was covered by deep snow, which confined the fractal cats to the freshly- swept porch. Deprived of their outing, the cats fell into sullen moods, which were lightened only when the tuna appeared. Today looks to be just as cold, and the snow is still out there. I suppose the cats will need more tuna. I plan on doing as little as possible for the rest of the day. Check back in 24 hours to see if I succeed. Until then, take care, and be happy in your leisure. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ ScorpioTheScorpion { ; time=0:08:52.45--SF5 on a p200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotBC1 function=floor passes=1 center-mag=-0.37960693446691730/-2.000764325613529\ 00/332.6669/1/-40/-1.32272665043231541e-012 params=1.096/0/96/1000 float=y maxiter=10000 inside=255 logmap=93 periodicity=10 colors=000DKNEJLFHJGGHHEFIDDJBCKAAL88M76N54O31P43Q\ 54R65S77T88U89V9AWACXBDYCEZCF_DH`EIaFJbGLcHMbHNaIO\ `JQ_KRZLSYLTXMVWNWVOXUPZTQ_SQ`SRaSScSTdSUeTTeSUfSU\ gRVhRViQWjQWkPWlPXmOXnOYoNYpNZqMZrKbqL`rMZrMYsNWsO\ UtOTtPRuQPuQOvRMvSKwSJwTHxTGxb`ymvzltylrxlqwlowlnv\ llulktlitlgslfrldqlcqlapl`olZnlXnlWmkUlkTkkRkkQjkO\ ikMhkLhkJgkIfkGekFekDdkBckAbk8bk7ak5`l3Zk4_k4`j4aj\ 4bi4ci5dh5eh5fg5gg5hf6if6jf6ke6le6md7nd7oc7pc7qb7r\ b8sa8ta8u`8v`8w`8wb8tc8qd8oe8lf8jg8gh8ei8bj8`k8Yl8\ Wn8To8Qp8Oq8Lr8Js8Gt8Eu8Bv89w86yA2xC3xE4xG4xI5xK5x\ M6xO6xQ7xS8xU8xV9xW9xXAxYAxZBx_Cx_Cx`Dx`DxaExaExbF\ xbFxcGxcHxdHxdIxeIxeJxfJxfKxgLxgLyhMyhMyiNyiNyjOyj\ PykPykQylQylRymRymSznRynSxoSwoSzpTzpTzqTzqUzrUzrUz\ sVzsVztVztWzuWzuWzvWzvXzwXzwXzxYzx_zyazyczzezzgzzi\ zzkzzmzzozzqzzszzuzzwzzyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz\ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz } frm:MandelbrotBC1 { ; by several Fractint users e=p1, a=imag(p2)+100 p=real(p2)+PI q=2*PI*fn1(p/(2*PI)) r=real(p2)-q Z=C=Pixel: Z=log(Z) IF(imag(Z)>r) Z=Z+flip(2*PI) ENDIF Z=exp(e*(Z+flip(q)))+C |Z|<a } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================