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Jun 7 2012

Fractals: Whoa

35 min 3 movies discussed
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In the 1980s, IBM mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot gazed for the first time upon his famous fractal. What resulted was a revolution in math and geometry and our understanding of the infinite, not to mention how we see Star Trek II.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the mind-bending world of fractals - those infinitely complex geometric patterns that somehow emerge from surprisingly simple mathematical formulas. They explore how these self-repeating shapes appear everywhere in nature from fern leaves to coastlines, and discuss the revolutionary work of mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot who helped bring fractals from theoretical curiosity to practical applications in everything from cell phone antennas to CGI movie effects. Don't worry if math isn't your thing - the hosts admit they're no mathematicians themselves, but they'll help you understand why fractals represent a completely new way of describing the natural world around us.


Movies Discussed

Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks
1999
★ 8.2
"I've known about this since I saw an episode of Freaks and Geeks — Referenced to explain Josh's awareness of severe peanut allergies from a TV episode." — Josh
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982 1h 53m
★ 7.4
"first CGI shot in motion picture history, which was Star Trek II, the Wrath of Khan — Referenced as the first movie to use CGI, specifically fractal-generated mountain landscapes." — Chuck
Star Wars
Star Wars
1977 2h 1m
★ 8.2
"Like the part in the doc about the Star Wars, when the guy was making the lava splashing — Discussed as an example of using fractals to create realistic CGI effects for lava scenes." — Chuck

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