[meteorite-list] "Fractal" Etch In New East African Iron

From: ks1u <ks1u_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Jan 28 09:53:12 2005
Message-ID: <000201c50549$13c00530$7c203ccc_at_HAL>

John and Dawn:

     Thanks for sharing that amazing photo with us. Although I have never
seen this structure in a meteorite, this type of "fractal" is quite common
in nature and the physical world. Typically these patterns can be generated
with a simple formula, called the Mandelbrot Set, by the expression:

                                           Z = Z (2/n) + C
                                             (n+1)

Any search engine will yield numerous sites dedicated to the Mandelbrot
Set. In fact PBS did a special on it with Arthur Clarke as the host, a few
years ago. Seemingly unrelated phenomenon such as tree patterns, animal
structures, and the patterns one gets when applying pressure to your closed
eyes can be described by this formula and its iterations. If you decide to
do a "search" on the net for Mandelbrot, be prepared to spend an hour or so
being amazed ,it's that addictive!.

George
Received on Fri 28 Jan 2005 09:53:04 AM PST