FOTD -- October 06, 2004 (Rating 4) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's fractal image, created by the barnsleym1 formula, resembles little more than a texture. In fact, it is hardly a texture. The image could more accurately be described as resembling a patch of pollution floating on the surface of a pond, or even something unmentionable. I named the image "Scrap Fractal" during a moment of kindness. One thing the image has going for it is the fact that I know of no other formula that could produce such chaotic chaos. Of course, I say this while having yet to examine the other two Barnsley Mandelbrot formulas, so I cannot state it as a fact. The default image drawn by the barnsleym1 formula has XY-axis symmetry, but no signs of midgets. Changing the starting point from 0,0 results in fractals without symmetry, which could be considered more interesting, but the inner details remain pretty much the same. None of the starting points I tried gave even a hint of a Mandelbrot midget. If such midgets can be created by this formula, they have so far totally eluded me. When coloring the scene I tried the sky-blue-background effect. No coloring can raise a pile of scrap to a jewel, but the sky- blue emphasized the forces working in the debris and raised the rating from a shameful 3 to a below-average 4. The render time is once again very fast. All the Barnsley formulas are fast. Today's render time of 1 minute and 50.78 seconds lets the overall value of the image come in at a whopping 216, a high enough value to make running the included parameter file practical. The completed image is or soon will be available for viewing on the FOTD web site at: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> I found only a few minutes to browse the Sep-Oct issue of 'Skeptical Inquirer' magazine yesterday, but one thing I did notice was an unfavorable (no surprise) review of the cult-like movie 'What the Bleep do we Know?'. The review is actually more of an attack on the film's producers, who are portrayed as new- age kooks, than a refutation of its content, which apparently connects quantum mechanics with mysticism. This leads me to take the film more seriously. If the film's content were total kookiness, CSICOP, which publishes S.I. magazine, would have pointed out its scientific errors, and would not have needed to attack the character of its producers. Actually, the more I read this magazine, which sometimes seems almost desperate in its denial of the paranormal, the more I become convinced that precognition is not the only paranormal thing that really does exist. I must search to see if the film has a web site. Despite the temperature of only 59F 15C and chilly winds here at Fractal Central on Tuesday, the duo of cats had a pleasant day. Thomas actually tried to make friends with the new guy on the block -- a grey-and-white cat from three doors down the hill -- but the other cat sneaked off. Tippy watched the lack of action with dis-interest. Today is starting quite chilly, but the wind has abated and the sun is bright. I expect a warmer afternoon. For me the work is still light, which promises as good a fractal as I can find in the second Barnsley Mandelbrot formula. That image will appear in 24 hours. Until then, take care, and don't doubt that fractals are good for your health. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START PARAMETER FILE======================================= Scrap_Fractal { ; time=0:01:50.78--SF5 on a P200 reset=2003 type=barnsleym1 passes=1 center-mag=+1.00799251309293500/-0.278523022206538\ 00/419.8787/1/-90/3.88578058618804789e-016 params=0/0.7 float=y maxiter=2000 bailout=9 inside=255 logmap=101 periodicity=10 colors=000G49H4AI4BJ4CK4DL4EM4FN4GO4HP4IQ4JR4KS4LT\ 4MU4NW4NY4S_4Pa4Nd4Kf4Ih4Gj4Dl5Bm69k78j78i88g88f98\ f98e98dA8dA8bB8bB8aC8aC8_C8_D8ZD8YE8YE7YF7XF7XF7XG\ 7WG7WH7WH7WH7VI7VI7VJ7UJ7UK7UK7TK7TL7TL6SM6SM6SN6S\ N6RN6RO6RO6QP6QP6QQ6PQ6PQ6PR6OR6OS6OS6NR7OS6OS6PT6\ PT6PU6QU5QV5RV5RW5RW5SX5SX4TY4TY4TZ4UZ4U_4V_3V`3V`\ 3Wa3Wa3Wb3Xb2Xc2Yc2Yd4Yd6Ze8ZeA_fC_fE_gG`gI`gKagMa\ gOagQbgSbgUbgWcgYdg_egafgcggehggigijgkkgmlgmmgmngm\ ngmogmpgmqgmrgmsgmtgmugmvgmwgmxgmygmzgmzgmygmxgmwg\ mvgmugmtgmsgmrgmqgmpgmogmngomgqlgtlgwkgzjgzigzhgzg\ gzfgzegzdgzcgzbgzagz`gz_gzZgzYgzZgqZgzZgzZgzZgzZgz\ ZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZg\ zZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZgzZ\ gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz\ _gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_g\ z_gz_gz_gz_gz_gz_gzwgzkgz } END PARAMETER FILE=========================================