Fractals - The Colors of Infinity (by Arthur C. Clarke)

Still saddened by the recent passing of Benoit Mandelbrot, I did some digging this weekend and found a treasure: a fantastic documentary about the Mandelbrot Set, and fractals in general, narrated by none other than the great Arthur C. Clarke. Can scientific/mathematical geekiness get any cooler?

I hope you enjoyed the recent mind trip through the Mandelbrot set, but you may have wondered whether the different colors of the set are representative of something, or whether they are purely artistic depictions purposely made for aesthetic purposes. The answer, as you'll find out, is that although the colors are arbitrary, they are not meaningless. I'll leave Arthur C. Clarke to explain that fascinating concept.

You may have also wondered whether fractals have any practical applications, or whether they ought to be contemplated merely for their intellectual and visual beauty. I think there's nothing wrong with the purely contemplative appreciation, but for those of you more practically minded, fractals have immense practical, intellectual and industrial applications, and that's just scratching the surface.

Prepare yourself for some amazing intellectual and visual stimulation, accompanied to the sound of some sweet electric guitar :)

Learn more about the relationship between fractals and evolution in The Secret Life of Chaos, with Jim Al-Khalili.
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