VLVL2 (15): Branching Invisible Fractals of Smell

[Dave Monroe]

"Soon toasters and toaster ovens, wood fires, RV
kitchen microwaves, gong-size skilets over propane
flames, all working on bacon, links, eggs, flapjacks,
waffles, hash brown, French toast, and hush puppies,
were sending out branching invivoble fractals of
smell, reaching all over the place, fat smoke,
charring spices, toasted bread, just-made coffee."
(VL, Ch. 15, p. 323)


p. 323 "branching invisible fractals of smell"   The
fractal is a fairly recent (and fashionable)
concept/buzzword. The property that makes a thing
fractal is that it looks the same at any scale -- like
a coastline. For this to be true, the fractal object
must be made of pieces that look like tiny versions of
the whole, and these pieces must be made of similar
looking, littler pieces...on to infinity. (The notion
of "complications that might go on forever," p. 381,
is very Pynchonesque.) Computer graphics programs
based on this principle can create complexities that
increase as long as you care to wait. Pynchon's use of
"fractal" here draws a great word-picture of crinkly,
cartoon-like aroma waves tickling noses of all sizes.
He's obviously been keeping up with his reading.

http://www.mindspring.com/~shadow88/chapter15.htm

And see as well, e.g., ...

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/fractal-faq/

http://spanky.triumf.ca/www/fractint/fractint.html

http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Edu/Fractal/Fractal_Home.html








	
		
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