# Amazing 3D fractals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080 "2009-11-18T21:54:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/1 "2009-11-18T21:54:36Z")
This was posted on Slashdot, but I think it’s worth sharing. This guy has created some three-dimensional fractals, trying to come up with something that has qualities similar to the 2D Mandelbrot set. [http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/mandelbulb.html](http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/mandelbulb.html) [http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/2mandelbulb.html](http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/2mandelbulb.html) Those structures are all generated using relatively simple equations. A lot of those pictures look like they could be electron-microscope images of living things. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/2 "2009-11-18T22:41:36Z")
Fantastic! In retrospect, carrying the fractal formulas to higher dimensions seems obvious. But I’ve certainly never thought of it, and I’ve never heard of it before this. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/3 "2009-11-18T23:55:32Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > This was posted on Slashdot, but I think it’s worth sharing. This guy has created some three-dimensional fractals, trying to come up with something that has qualities similar to the 2D Mandelbrot set. > > [Mandelbulb: The Unravelling of the Real 3D Mandelbrot Fractal](http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/mandelbulb.html) > [The Unravelling of the Real 3D Mandelbrot Fractal](http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/2mandelbulb.html) > > Those structures are all generated using relatively simple equations. A lot of those pictures look like they could be electron-microscope images of living things. Those are unique and interesting-looking. They all resemble some kind of alien coral growth to me. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/4 "2009-11-19T00:03:21Z")
I’m going to take some medicinal herbs, turn up the Zager & Evans, and stare at these for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/5 "2009-11-20T03:39:42Z")
Whoa! ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/6 "2009-11-20T04:01:53Z")
_Looks like some sort of secreted resin._ _Yeah. But secreted by **what**?!_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/7 "2009-11-20T04:51:18Z")
Wow. Beautiful, yet also alien and slightly disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/8 "2009-11-20T05:46:20Z")
A lot of it looks like a knit sweater. But the round mouthy things creep me out. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/9 "2009-11-21T11:03:35Z")
That’s one bad ass fuckin’ fractal. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-3d-fractals/518080/10 "2009-11-21T18:44:39Z")
Is there an interactive viewer