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Mandelbrot Set Originally Found In 13th Century (Early April's Fool)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the my-history-degree-does-matter! dept.

lines writes "I was amazed to find out that the Mandelbrot Set was discovered by a 13th century monk -- way, way before the advent of non-human computers. Apparently, a mathematician spied a mini-mandelbrot masquerading as the Star of Bethlehem in an illuminated manuscript's depiction of the Nativity scene. It turns out that this particular monk, Udo of Aachen, was attempting to mathematically describe a soul's path to Heaven. (For those unfamiliar with it, here's a quick introduction to the Mandelbrot Set.)" Update 30 mins later by J : Yes, this is an old April Fool's joke - and a cleverly done one, too.

6 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh, come on! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    about as well done as most of the "All your base are belong to us" Photoshop jobs, and just about as easy to spot. Hemos really

    You mean those aren't real? Somebody didn't really tattoo 'all your base are belong to us' onto his ass and get chased by cops through a corn field?

  2. No, I was too busy marvelling... by goliard · · Score: 3


    ... how an allegedly medieval monk knew how to paint a picture with renaissance perspective.

    Mandlebrot, schmandlebrot. According to the accompanying picture, he figured out the vanishing point 150 years before anyone else!

    --
    -*- Any technology indistinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced -*-
  3. Anyone notice this at the bottom by ptevis · · Score: 5
    © Ray Girvan (raygirvan@freezone.co.uk), April 1st 1999.

    I think that sums it up.

  4. Oh, come on! by CaptainCarrot · · Score: 3
    Update 20 mins later by J: Yes, this is an April Fool's joke - very well done, too.

    It's about as well done as most of the "All your base are belong to us" Photoshop jobs, and just about as easy to spot. Hemos really had his head up his butt on this one. It's a two year old joke for crying out loud!

    --
    And the brethren went away edified.
  5. Watch out for lightening bolts. by nublord · · Score: 3
    From the article:
    "I was stunned," Schipke says. "It was like finding a picture of Bill Gates in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The colophon [the title page] named the copyist as Udo of Aachen, and I just had to find out more about this guy."

    I don't think the All Mighty is going to be to pleased with this comparison.

  6. Didja know "gullible" isn't in the dictionary? by isomeme · · Score: 3
    A monk named Thelonius? C'mon, guys...my suspension of disbelief was sagging well before I got that far, but that snapped it entirely. It is a pretty funny hoax, though.

    --

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.