Synopses & Reviews
Fractals are unique patterns left behind by the unpredictable movements -- the chaos -- of the world at work. The branching patterns of trees, the veins in a hand, water twisting out of a running tap -- all of these are fractals. Learn to recognize them and you will never again see things in quite the same way.
Fractals permeate our lives, appearing in places as tiny as the surface of a virus and as majestic as the Grand Canyon. From ancient tribal peoples to modern painters to the animators of Star Wars, artists have been captivated by fractals and have utilized them in their work. Computer buffs are wild about fractals as well, for they can be generated on ordinary home computers.
In Fractals: The Patterns of Chaos, science writer John Briggs uses over 170 illustrations to clearly explain the significance -- and more importantly, the beauty -- of fractals. He describes how fractals were discovered, how they are formed, and the unique properties different fractals share. Fractals is a breathtaking guided tour of a brand new aesthetic of art, science, and nature. It will revolutionize the way you see the world and your place within it.
x Contains a special bibliography listing fractal generating software for desktop computers
Review
Philip Friedman
author of Reasonable Doubt
With great charm and verve, John Briggs has captured the surprising universe of fractals. It would be hard to imagine a more comprehensive and beguiling introduction.
Review
F. David Peatphysicist and author of The Philosophers' StoneJohn Briggs takes us on a magical journey into the world of fractals and to the limits of the human imagination. A marvelous marriage of science, mathematics, nature, and art.
Review
David Bohmphysicist and author of Wholeness and the Implicate OrderWith insight and simplicity, John Briggs blends together chaos theory, fractal geometry, and art in order to bring us to a greater perception of the reality unfolding and enfolding around us....Exceptionally clear about the science.
Synopsis
Fractals are unique patterns left behind by the unpredictable movements -- the chaos -- of the world at work. The branching patterns of trees, the veins in a hand, water twisting out of a running tap -- all of these are fractals. Learn to recognize them and you will never again see things in quite the same way.
Fractals permeate our lives, appearing in places as tiny as the surface of a virus and as majestic as the Grand Canyon. From ancient tribal peoples to modern painters to the animators of Star Wars, artists have been captivated by fractals and have utilized them in their work. Computer buffs are wild about fractals as well, for they can be generated on ordinary home computers.
In Fractals: The Patterns of Chaos, science writer John Briggs uses over 170 illustrations to clearly explain the significance -- and more importantly, the beauty -- of fractals. He describes how fractals were discovered, how they are formed, and the unique properties different fractals share. Fractals is a breathtaking guided tour of a brand new aesthetic of art, science, and nature. It will revolutionize the way you see the world and your place within it.
* Contains a special bibliography listing fractal generating software for desktop computers
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 187) and index.
About the Author
John Briggs is a science writer with a Ph.D. in Aesthetics and Psychology. His work has appeared in Omni, and he is the author of Fire in the Crucible and coauthor of Turbulent Mirror. He is currently at wok on his next book, The Universe as a Work of Art.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS Introduction
A Planet of Living Fractals
Of Camels, Straws, and Fractals
The Fractals and Chaos of Outer Space
Our Weather Today is Chaos
Between Things: Fractal Dimensions
The Haunting Mandelbrot Set
Fractal Math Imitations, both Fanciful and Real
Chaos and Symmetry Hybrids
Chaos Sculpts Fractal Landscapes
Spirals, Solitons, and Self-Organizing Chaos
Feedback and Iteration: The Heartbeat of Chaos
The Human Body is a Fractal Creation
The Folded Order of Turbulence
Visualizing Chaos as a Strange Attractor
The Art of Abstract Images from Fractal Math
The New Geometry of Irregularity
Great Art's Fractal Secrets
Coda: Living With Unpredictability's Shapes
Creating Fractals on Home Computers
Contributors' Biographies
Suggested Reading
Image Credits
Index