fractal (noun, “FRAK-tal”)
Fractals are geometric shapes made up of repeated parts on increasingly smaller scales.
Consider a fern leaf. If you look closely, each leaf appears to be made up of repeating tiny leaves. This pattern is one way fractal shapes occur in nature. The structure of a snowflake follows a fractal pattern, as do Romanesco broccoli sprouts.
If you’ve ever sketched a shape and then completely filled it with a smaller version of that same shape, congratulations! You’ve just drawn a fractal. Sierpinski triangle.
To draw this simple fractal, start with an equilateral triangle — a triangle with three equal sides. Then divide the area of that triangle into four smaller equilateral triangles. (Hint: draw an inverted triangle inside the first triangle.) Continue to divide these triangles into even smaller triangles. In theory, you could draw this shape in detail forever. But the triangles soon become too small for your pen to fit. A computer can help you visualize how these patterns repeat forever.
The Sierpinski triangle is a simple type of fractal that’s described as self-similar, meaning its repeating pattern is made up of the same repeating shape — in this case, a triangle. But thanks to geometry, fractals can get much more complicated.
One well-known example is a geometric pattern called the Mandelbrot set. This pattern creates complex fractals that morph, twist and spiral to create shapes that repeat and keep repeating. These shapes and patterns are the basis of the computer-generated special effects seen in many movies today.
From the tiniest snowflake to the largest screen, fractals are infinitely complex. These repeating formulas define an infinite range of geometric shapes.
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Filmmakers often use fractal shapes in visual effects to create otherworldly atmospheres.
See the complete listScientists say.
Source: www.snexplores.org
