FOTD -- November 18, 2008 (Rating 8) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's image shows a downright attractive minibrot of order 17, which means it has 16 interior lobes with 17-part symmetry surrounding it. It might not be fully worth the rating of an 8, but I gave this rating because it's a surprise to see something this interesting and attractive in the range of Z^17 fractals. I was tempted to add an extra half-point for my coloring skill, but my humility made me decide against it. The name "A Higher Viewpoint" refers to the high-order circular minibrot that fills the center of the image. The mathtolerance entry in the parameter file is necessary because of the extreme magnitude of the image, which is already causing a breakdown of resolution. The scene is simply a blow-up of a minibrot in the center of the kind of fractal objects that have appeared in the FOTD's of the past two days. But this will be the last of the series. I must be moving on. An infinity of fractals lies out there, waiting to be discovered. The calculation time of 31 seconds is lightning fast, though the result may not be quite as shocking. As always, the calculating may be avoided by surfing to the FOTD web site at: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> and enjoying the finished image there. *****Philosophy alert!***** With extra spare time on Monday, my philosophical energies came to life. I thought of how unlikely it is that I should be here at this particular time and place, or how unlikely that I should ever have existed at all. I'll not go through the mathematical calculation, but as I figure it, the chance of myself, (and of everyone else as well), ever coming into existence is exactly zero. It's impossible for any one of us to be here, yet here we all are. It's a miracle that reason cannot explain, a miracle so subtle and omnipresent that even its existence is difficult to recognize. The high priests of science are helpless to explain it. They brush aside talk of the miracle by claiming it is a childish way of thinking. The high priests of philosophy are also helpless. They claim that, however unlikely it may be, we are here now, and this makes the probability of our existence 100 percent. The high priests of religion are a bit more able to offer an explanation. They claim that each of us is here because God had each of us in mind for all eternity before He manifested us as individuals. However, this is only a different way of stating the miracle. But religion at least goes one step beyond science when it claims that God will never forget us. The problem with the religious explanation is that God has concealed Himself so deeply that many of us doubt He is there at all. At this point it is best that, as Sister Mary Thomas told me in the seventh grade, I should sit down and shut up. *****Weather and Cat report***** Clouds and sun alternated here at Fractal central on Monday, while the temperature reached only 41F 5C. The fractal cats complained when the clouds predominated during their afternoon nap in the southwest window. A little tuna and coffee cream ended their complaints. My day was unexpectedly slow. And tomorrow has a very good chance of being exactly the same. The next FOTD fractal will be posted for all the world to admire in 24 hours. Until then, take care, and every one of us is a necessary part of the complete universe. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START PARAMETER FILE======================================= A_Higher_Viewpoint { ; time=0:00:31.26-SF5 on P4-2000 reset=2004 type=formula formulafile=basic.frm formulaname=DivideBrot5 center-mag=-17.65025751604\ 944/+0.1182307735644347/1.952449e+012/1/-95.5/0 params=17/10 float=y maxiter=305 inside=0 logmap=54 periodicity=10 mathtolerance=0.05/1 colors=0000EU2HW4JX6MZ8O_ARaCTbEWdGYezzztzzmzzcxzB\ szAmwAhsCbmEYhGUeERbGOaHMZJOaMRbPUgSZlVcqYiuzzzwoo\ wemzWlzQjuNht0ZzzizzLzvTzsazrizrqztbzuOzvAzdRWNgTP\ dRQbOS`MTZJVXHWVbaGwf2te4qd6nc7lb9iaAf`Cd`DbcH`eK_\ gNYjRWlUVzXQz0zz4zzAzzGWzMYhS_hYahcbhh_haYhWWhQXcU\ YcYZca_ce`ciacmaepbdnbdmbdlbdjcdicdhcdfcde5mu7lz9l\ zAkzCkzDjzFjzHjzIizKizLhzNhzPhzQgzSgzTfzVfzXfzYez_\ ez`dzbdzIezKgzMizOjzQgzRdzSazTZzUWzVTzQdzmzzmzzmzz\ mzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzmzzDzzGzzIzzKz\ zMzzPzzRzzTzzVzzYzz_zzazzNzzOzzPzzQzzRzzSzzTzzUzzV\ zzWzzXzzYzzZzz_zz`zzazzbzzczzXzz_zzazU6z68z8AzABzB\ DzDEzEGzGHzIJzJKzLMzMNzOPzQRzRSzTUzUVzWXzYYzZ_z``z\ abzcXz7Yz9YzBZzDZzEZzG_zI_zJ_zL`zN`zO`zQazSazUazVb\ zXbzZDziDzkFzjGzjIziJziKziMzhNzhOzhQzgRzgczjSzgUzf\ VzfWzfYzeZze_zeazdbzdCztEzsGzrIzqJzpLzoNznPzmQzlSz\ kUzjWziXzhZzg`zfRzmOzuCzg } frm:DivideBrot5 { ; Jim Muth z=(0,0), c=pixel, a=real(p1)-2, b=imag(p1)+0.00000000000000000001: z=sqr(z)/(z^(-a)+b)+c |z| < 1000000 } END PARAMETER FILE=========================================