We had a great discussion group happening today with our children's bible study, discussing how everything God's created has a pattern and order. In fact, there is a mathematical equation for each of these creations, and all of the equations, when put into a computer, will generate it's own wonderful, repeating pattern known as a fractal.
It lead to a 'show and tell' of pictures, much like this one found on Dr Rock's myspace.
The size of this picture just doesn't do it justice, so if you can get onto the site and then view on the full screen, it's just fascinating. The patterns keep spiralling in toward the centre, constantly repeating itself. Do you notice all the smaller 'swirls' in the arms? They also have the same spiral patterns! If you zoom in, it's amazing what you see.
Of course, I'm wondering how to take this one step further and get my children exploring the subject further in the future. So, after googling, found a downloadable fractal generator kit and some reviewed lesson plans (requires a subscription to site). LOTS more links on this page or just google!
A book of interest to check the library for is The Colors of Infinity. You can also view the complete 54min video of The Colours of Infinity here.
Here's Part 1 from You Tube:
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