Hunting the Hidden Dimension

Determined to understand the repeating patterns he was finding in nature, French mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot used an early form of computer imagery to produce his own versions, coining the recurring shapes fractals. This installment of the PBS series "Nova" examines the rules of these self-similar patterns and explores the ways these fascinating geometric configurations can be applied in the fields of science, medicine and the arts. "The Fractal Geometry of Nature".

This is an excellent hour documentary that NOVA is known for. Everything is simply described. First you'll find out what the heck a fractal is. Then you learn its applications; from finding tumors; mapping the oxygen flow of a rainforest; weaving designs on shirts; and computer graphics. The computer graphics show how lava was simulated by fractal. That example is my favorite part of the entire video.

You will be opened to another subject of mathematics much like when you first learn algebra, trigonometry, or calculus. Fractals are a subject of their own. Prepare for a "mind expanding" video. And at the same time help support PBS.

NOVA: Secrets of the Mind  NOVA - The Elegant Universe  NOVA - Genius: The Science of Einstein, Newton, Darwin, and Galileo  Decoding Reality: The Universe as Quantum Information

PBS Nova - Fractals - Hunting the Hidden Dimension