This is the kind of film that you'll likely find, and possibly watch if it's in the right 'mood', amid your friend's lot of obscure DVD's. Apparently that's how I came across it, as my friend was a big Pink Floyd- and more so David Gilmour- fan. As I understood what went on screen, Arthur C. Clarke talks to the audience about special things out in the universe. Particularly what are called 'fractals'. What was really most interesting about it all was the idea that such fractals, which continue on and on into infinity, it may connect to what happens with human revolution, or really how it connects to how the universe works. How, perhaps, things keep going in spirals. You don't have to be an astronomer to get what Clarke is talking about, but it does take some paying attention to. There are many little points made that, regrettably, flew over my head until I heard the intriguing key point about fractals. On the other hand, if you might happen to be looking for a little obscure stoner quickie, look no further. There's lots of staggering guitar solos by Floyd guitar maestro Gilmour that matches up well with the visuals provided. Make no mistake, the term 'trippy' does apply to these fractals, and it's probably a must-see in some circles. Though I probably wouldn't go out of my way to reach out for it.
7 Reviews
Great explanation of this mind boggling stuff
beschuitfluiter7 October 2021
A wonderful experience, however...
dutch-waterman20 March 2019
This is the very best explanation of fractals ever presented
umpire6320 March 2008
"Colors of Infinity" is the very best explanation of fractals in general and the Mandelbrot set in particular ever presented. Arthur C. Clarke's soft-spoken style sets the "common man" at ease, and his pinpoint commentary makes the concept of fractals easy to understand. One need not be a stellar mathematician to grasp the concepts and why they are profound. The experts are trotted out, and they, too, explain fractal geometry in ways that are accessible to everyman.
Fractals are part of our lives, and math informs everything that exists, whether natural or man-made. When I saw this on TV several years ago, it reminded me of the Douglas Adams (of "Hitchhiker's Guide" fame) book "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." In the novel, a software engineer tries to create a program that sets the flapping of a bird's wings to music using mathematical equations. That is exactly what fractals seem to do; they describe events in nature in mathematical ways, and the section of "Colors" which discusses this is eye-opening.
Whether you think you would be interested or not, give this show a viewing. You will be glad you did.
Fractals are part of our lives, and math informs everything that exists, whether natural or man-made. When I saw this on TV several years ago, it reminded me of the Douglas Adams (of "Hitchhiker's Guide" fame) book "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." In the novel, a software engineer tries to create a program that sets the flapping of a bird's wings to music using mathematical equations. That is exactly what fractals seem to do; they describe events in nature in mathematical ways, and the section of "Colors" which discusses this is eye-opening.
Whether you think you would be interested or not, give this show a viewing. You will be glad you did.
Mind bending
ablebravo2 March 2006
This is a fantastic yet completely understandable documentary which discusses in detail the phenomenon of Fractal geometry. Sir Arthur Clarke does an excellent job of never talking down to his audience, yet imparts a great deal of detail in an enjoyable fashion. Interviews with other mathematicians including Prof. Mandelbrot himself adds to the intellectual appeal of this great (and not nearly long enough, IMO) production. The Fractal graphics are utterly breathtaking, and are aided by a perfectly composed musical score by none other than Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame. The Fractal animations alone stand up to repeated viewings for no other reason than they are spectacularly beautiful. Totally recommended! Ten stars out of ten!
Unimpressive
rgcustomer7 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I am a fan of Arthur C Clarke, but this film left me unimpressed.
It's basically Mandelbrot porn, with Mandelbrot religion, and very little science or math.
How can they not explain that fractals are objects with fractional dimension? How can they not explain that "the plane" used is not the real plane, but the complex plane?
As far as fractal compression, they fail to explain that it's lossy compression, and the "detail" revealed by zooming in simply isn't there. It's like a painting where the painter makes up the detail. It may be a good guess, but it's not real.
I'm not sure I approve their use of the equilibrium symbol "⇌" in their equation z⇌z²+c. I think it's a confusing way to represent recursion, particularly with similarity to the equals sign. Although it's true that z→z²+c (z is mapped to z²+c), the heart of it is z←z²+c (z is replaced by z²+c), which is then repeated up to some arbitrary limit, for each pixel of interest. z is a coordinate in the complex plane, which is why you can square it. Squaring a real point in two dimensions doesn't make a lot of sense.
Fractals do not map well to reality. If you zoom in on the fractals shown in this film, you can theoretically keep zooming as far as you want, and it still looks the same. But one reason we have such difficulty with the tiny world of quarks and quantum mechanics is precisely because it's NOTHING like the world we know.
It's basically Mandelbrot porn, with Mandelbrot religion, and very little science or math.
How can they not explain that fractals are objects with fractional dimension? How can they not explain that "the plane" used is not the real plane, but the complex plane?
As far as fractal compression, they fail to explain that it's lossy compression, and the "detail" revealed by zooming in simply isn't there. It's like a painting where the painter makes up the detail. It may be a good guess, but it's not real.
I'm not sure I approve their use of the equilibrium symbol "⇌" in their equation z⇌z²+c. I think it's a confusing way to represent recursion, particularly with similarity to the equals sign. Although it's true that z→z²+c (z is mapped to z²+c), the heart of it is z←z²+c (z is replaced by z²+c), which is then repeated up to some arbitrary limit, for each pixel of interest. z is a coordinate in the complex plane, which is why you can square it. Squaring a real point in two dimensions doesn't make a lot of sense.
Fractals do not map well to reality. If you zoom in on the fractals shown in this film, you can theoretically keep zooming as far as you want, and it still looks the same. But one reason we have such difficulty with the tiny world of quarks and quantum mechanics is precisely because it's NOTHING like the world we know.
One for the nerds and spacecadets
Pat-mustard20 May 2022
Really excellent watch! Arthur C Clarke explores the discovery of fractal geometry, its importance and connection to the natural world. The colours and shapes created using the Mset are stunning, I was glued to the screen. I definitely didn't watch it on magic mushrooms.
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