FOTD -- January 07, 2011 (Rating 6.5) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's image rates a 6.5. I was torn between a rating of a 6 and a 7, and the best way to settle the dilemma was to give the image a rating of 6-1/2. But unlike most fractional ratings, today's includes no bonus for the coloring, which was achieved almost entirely by the Fractint program. When I saw the image, it brought back memories of bacterial cultures in the old biology classes. The name "Mandel in a Petri Dish" seems quite appropriate. The image combines features of the Z^2 and Z^4 Mandeloids, though at the depth of the image the Z^4 features predominate. The central minibrot is filled with concentric rings of alterna- ting chaos and order; the chaotic areas are filled with smaller minibrots as well as 'antiminibrots' with peaks instead of valleys at their centers. Perhaps the best feature of the image is its relatively speedy calculation time of just over 2 minutes, which is about the time it will take to surf down to the currently active FOTD web site at: <http://www.emarketingiseasy.com/TESTS/FOTD/jim_muths_fotd.html> where the finished image is posted. The original web site at: <http://www.Nahee.com/FOTD/> is still available, and always worth a quick check. While watching the TV news during the Thursday lunch break, I saw a report of several localized showers of falling birds. No one knows the actual cause, but it appears the flocks of birds became disoriented and flew into things. The question of what caused the birds to lose their bearings remains unanswered, but in my opinion, the cause could have been the electromagnetic haze created by the current proliferation of wireless devices and the necessary cell towers to support them. It is known that some birds navigate by sensing earth's magnetic field. Perhaps the electromagnetic signals emitted by the ever- increasing number of cell towers is interfering with the birds' ability to orient themselves. If this is true however, it is unlikely the news media, which is controlled by the giant commun- ication corporations, would cover such a story. I also wonder whether the 'greenie' activists who claim to care so much about the environment would be willing to give up their wireless devices to save the birds. A final thought -- maybe the birds are like canaries in a coal mine. Maybe we should consider their deaths a warning. Yeah, yeah, I know the old mantra -- there is no solid evidence that wireless radiation is harmful. But the hints of danger are everywhere. What I want to see is solid evidence that it is safe. A mix of sun and clouds and a high temperature of freezing made Thursday another typical winter day here at Fractal Central. The fractal cats grew bored with the on-and-off sun and settled for the afternoon in the warmest places they could find. With the work up to date, my day was fair enough. And the plans for the FOTD web site here at FC are coming along. Expect an announcement in a couple weeks. The next FOTD will be posted in 24 hours, more or less. Until then, take care, and watch for scattered showers of falling birds. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com START PARAMETER FILE======================================= MandelInAPetriDish { ; time=0:02:07.70-SF5 on P4-2000 reset=2004 type=formula formulafile=basicer.frm formulaname=FinDivBrot-2 function=recip passes=1 center-mag=+0.3602110240053605/+0.6436979362830387\ /9.9012e+007/1/10/0 params=4/4444/0/0 float=y maxiter=1500 inside=0 logmap=100 periodicity=6 colors=000MTALUBKVBJWCIXCHYDGZDFZEE_FD`FCaGBbGAcH9\ dH8eI7eIBdJEdJHcKKcKNbKRbLUaLXaL_`Mb`Mf_Ni_NlZNoZO\ rYOvYOvWNwVMwTLxSKwQJwPJvOIvMHuLGuJFtIFsHErFDrECqC\ BpBAoAAo89n78m57l46l36g47b47Z47V57R57M58I68E68A686\ 688899AAACBCDBDFCEHDGJEHKEIMFKOGLQHMRHOTIPVJQWJSXK\ UXLWXMYXN_XOaXPcXQeXRgXSiXTkXUmXVoXWqXXsXYuXZwX_yX\ `zXazW_zWZzWYzWXzWWzWVzWUzWSzWRzWQzWPzWOzWNzWMzWKz\ WJzWIzWHzWGzWFzWEwUGuTIsSKqQMoPOmOQkNSiLUgKzdKzbKz\ `KzZKzXKzVKzTKzRKzPKzNKzOKzPKzQKzRKzSKzTUzUUzVUzWU\ zXUzYUzZUz_Uz`UzaUzbUzcUzdUzeUzfUzgUzhczicziczjczk\ czlczmczkczjcziczgczfczeczcczbczacz`czZczYczXczVcz\ UczTczRczQczPczOczYczgczqczpczocznhzmhzlhzkhzjhzih\ zhhzghzfhzfhzehzdhzchzbhzahz`hz_mzZmzYmzXmzWmzWmzV\ mzVmzUmzUmzTmzTmzSmzSmzSmzTmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmz\ mmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmmzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmr\ zmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrzmrz } frm:FinDivBrot-2 { ; Jim Muth z=(0,0), c=pixel, a=-(real(p1)-2), esc=(real(p2)+16), b=imag(p1): z=(b)*(z*z*fn1(z^(a)+b))+c |z| < esc } END PARAMETER FILE=========================================