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From: mitchell@cbmvax.commodore.com (Fred Mitchell - PA)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: fractals as bad science
Message-ID: <9215@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 5 Jan 90 00:19:13 GMT
References: <119.256E54C5@uscacm.UUCP> <1247@becker.UUCP> <9144@cbmvax.commodore.com> <6780@lindy.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: mitchell@cbmvax.commodore.com (Fred Mitchell - PA)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 42

In article <6780@lindy.Stanford.EDU> rick@hanauma.UUCP (Richard Ottolini) writes:
>In article <9144@cbmvax.commodore.com> mitchell@cbmvax.commodore.com (Fred Mitchell - PA) writes:
>>As for explaining the mechanism of certain phenomena, it can give fantastic
>>insights. For example, the development of the human embryo (and embryos in
>>general)- we can begin to understand how a HUGE amount of information
>>can be encoded by such a small dataset (DNA). 

>B.S. 

Cough.

>Fractals, if a valid measure of nature, say how LITTLE information
>there is.   Compilicated appearing patterns actually can be parameterized
>by very few numbers, hence its attractiveness to explanation and information
>compression.

Seems like a matter of semantics, to me. The old "Half full" or "Half empty"
approach.

>Mitchell appears to be jumbling several types of "new age" mathematics--
>complexity theory, chaos theory, fractals ...-- each which has precise and
>different definitions and something different to say about nature.

The "jumbling" as you call it, was intentional. I was not trying to say
anything specific- just that we should keep an open mind and look for
relationships where we normally wouldn't. 

>Some may provide USEFUL results and become parts of the scientist's toolkit,
>while others will remain mathematical amusements.

It depends on your orientation. If you want to be analytical, sure, then its
a matter of what TOOL you can apply to what specific problem. But one should
also be able to take a couple of steps back and see the whole picture. What
is the gist of what I am trying to say? Therein lies my message.

I was trying to elict an appreciation for the BEAUTY of what we have to date
and where they might take us. Unfourtunatly, some are unable to grasp that.

	-Mitchell
	 mitchell@cbmvax.UUCP
	 "The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr. Brain has long since
  	  departed." - The Black Adder