Please, we've had more than enough snow already.. wh y don't you study sunshine or something?
Re:Enough already
by
ackthpt
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Please, we've had more than enough snow already.. wh y don't you study sunshine or something?
sn0w 0wnz j00!
Seriously, this is one of the more intriguing articles I've ever seen on Slashdot. It's made my bookmarks and is certainly inspiration to whip up some stuff in PoV. I'm an old math and geometry buff (and former resident of the Great White North) and appreciate the beauty of snow. Perhaps moreso that I've got all the technology crap to play with it, yet now live in a warm climate.
Yet, there we geeks were, spellbound decades ago by Julias and Mandelbrots, and accumulating libraries of books, like:
The Fractal Geometry of Nature, Benoit B. Mandelbrot
The Science of Fractal Images (Peitgen, Saupe)
The Beauty of Fractals (Peitgen, Richter)
The Algorithmic Beatuy of Plants (Prusinkiewicz, Lindenmayer)
All the while, I could have gone outside and been inspired by a light dusting of tiny snow or those huge flakes which fell infrequently in a dead calm. Sometimes it is good to get outside.
--
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I don't understand how a story like this can make front-page slashdot, yet the story about the man burning his penis with his laptop can't. A distinct failure in public safety awareness, if I ever saw one.
Re:Make your own snowflake!
by
Elbereth
·
· Score: 3, Funny
Finally, I now know how to impress that cute girl at the video rental store!
OH! don't tell me they copyrighted a snow flake?
by
makoffee
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· Score: 2, Funny
j/k but why in america do people feel the need to put a copyright on EVERYTHING! In this case it only tarnishes a beautiful picture of cristalized water.:(
-- -makoffee
It's not that bad
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Come on critics, we can have a diversion once in a while. What's wrong with some snowflakes? They are pretty, and the post doesn't take up too much space on the front page of slashdot. It's my opinion that this world could use a little more senseless beauty.
Hey, you're welcome to come by and take a truckload of "senseless beauty" off my driveway...please!
-- Just another day in Paradise
It's all about the pictures
by
majordomo
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· Score: 5, Interesting
I'm sitting right now one story down from the office of Ken Libbrecht, the guy who wrote the book (and the website). Ken told me that he was writing a book on the physics of snowflakes, and I asked him how he expected to get anyone to buy it. "Pictures," he replied, "lots of pretty pictures!"
Looks like he was right!
Re:It's all about the pictures
by
kfg
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
And how is it that he got interested in the physics of snowflakes in the first place?
Bet'cha he saw some pretty pictures somewhere.
The advisor I was assigned to do my senior physics research project under had just written the book on the physics of boomerangs. Why? Because he thought boomerangs were fun, cool, and when he went to look up how they worked found out no one really knew.
My research project was on the dynamics of two wheeled vehicles. Why? Because I adored bicycles, and there were some issues with understanding just how they really worked.
Some people might be surprised at how much real science begins with the simple joy of tossing a boomerang about, or coasting down a curvey road, or some young mind thinking:
"Ooooooooooo, pretty. Me want touch."
KFG
melted fast.....
by
mao+che+minh
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· Score: 4, Funny
I guess snowflakes, and their servers, melt fast under the OVERWHELMING POWER of a slashdotting.
I look forward to seeing those beatiful images tommorow.
Executive summary
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2, Informative
I Get To Experience The Best Of Both Worlds!
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 4, Interesting
My observatory is based at 2,000 meters in one of the ten cleanest and driest locations around (the atmospheric aerosol concentrations are the lowest anywhere yet measured outside of Antarctica). As a result, not only do we get beautiful seeing and astronomical-imaging conditions, but the most amazingly beautiful and complex snowflakes I've ever seen. Life is good.:)
Cellular Automata?
by
boomgopher
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Anyone notice how snowflakes look like hexagonal 2D cellular automata? They exhibit a lot of the variation you see when you change the 'rules' of automata systems.
-- Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
Does this only confirm my expectations that no one at/. wants to go out? Certainly does! Why don't you go out, spring sun is shining and make a snowman or couple of angels to the snow.
HaloSim3 Software is a sundog simulator which models how light passes through ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere. Beautiful and fascinating.
I'm not quite sure why this and ice crystals are so fascinating, but I have the book mentioned in the article, which consists of hundreds of black pages with 1" square images of snowflake magnifications. In the first instance it sounds insane, but it never fails to hold peoples attention.
Beautiful simple things
by
bigberk
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Nice to see stuff like this fly across slashdot on occasion. Helps me take a moment to appreciate all the cool design that was here long before and will remain long after us humans:)
ASCII version of pictures
by
mraymer
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· Score: 5, Funny
*
and my personal favorite
* *
* *
The above one makes a great desktop for the graphically challenged.
--
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking
Re:ASCII version of pictures
by
tunah
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· Score: 2, Funny
Why they're symmetrical
by
RobotWisdom
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· Score: 5, Interesting
Because each arm experiences the same conditions, the arms tend to look alike, producing large-scale, intricate, six-fold symmetric snow crystals.
This explanation is obviously handwaving-- the symmetry is perfect (or close to it) over scales of millions of molecules.
I've been arguing since 1980 or so that an ice crystal in freefall is not at absolute zero (obviously) so it must have internal vibrations. This is basically 'noise', but as it echoes thru the ice, it stops looking random and becomes symmetrical, like Chladni patterns on a vibrating plate or drumhead. (Or like the radiating circles from a drip of water into a circular pool, reconverging at an opposite point.) Because these symmetries are present from the first stage of growth, they maintain symmetrical growth.
I don't think the 104.5 degree angle between the hydrogens in water molecules is close enough to 120 to deliver perfect hexagonality-- it's probably due to the geometry of echoes in any disk, because hexagons can be inscribed in circles. (The spinning of the seed probably contributes to the flatness-- growing favors the outside edge of the bulge, otherwise it might be more spherical.)
Re:Why they're symmetrical
by
RobotWisdom
·
· Score: 2
This explanation is just crackpot-science.
(Why do geeks so often get defensive when you point out gaps in science's perfection?)
Crystal growth and dendrite-formation are well-understood subjects within physical chemistry.
Not symmetries that are maintained over distances of a millimeter or more.
Suggesting that all water molecules in a snowflake crystal vibrate in harmony in a state of equillibrium violates the laws of thermodynamics.
Slashdot Mirror
Please, we've had more than enough snow already.. wh y don't you study sunshine or something?
I don't understand how a story like this can make front-page slashdot, yet the story about the man burning his penis with his laptop can't. A distinct failure in public safety awareness, if I ever saw one.
In a blizzard of enlightment, Slashdot editors got snowed into posting this by some flake!
Just another day in Paradise
I've been doing that since grade school. Here are my instructions:
--sex
Very popular slashdot journal for adul
j/k but why in america do people feel the need to put a copyright on EVERYTHING! In this case it only tarnishes a beautiful picture of cristalized water. :(
-makoffee
Come on critics, we can have a diversion once in a while. What's wrong with some snowflakes? They are pretty, and the post doesn't take up too much space on the front page of slashdot. It's my opinion that this world could use a little more senseless beauty.
I'm sitting right now one story down from the office of Ken Libbrecht, the guy who wrote the book (and the website). Ken told me that he was writing a book on the physics of snowflakes, and I asked him how he expected to get anyone to buy it. "Pictures," he replied, "lots of pretty pictures!"
Looks like he was right!
I look forward to seeing those beatiful images tommorow.
Beautiful snowflake image
Here's my favorite snowflake picture:
Inspiring picture with Snowflakes
I love that site... hilarious (and no, I don't work for them or get money from them in ANY way)
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
one man's snow flake is another mans' glass ninja throwing star.
-makoffee
... just do it online, with this Flash app.
there truly is beauty in symmetry.
I agree with this. Breasts usually come in pairs.
I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
"You know, fingerprints are just like snowflakes. They're both very pretty." -- Chief Wiggum
--
"Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." - Homer Simpson [1F10]
Mirror, in case it gets slashdotted:
\/
---
/\
HTH!
I've had this sig for three days.
My observatory is based at 2,000 meters in one of the ten cleanest and driest locations around (the atmospheric aerosol concentrations are the lowest anywhere yet measured outside of Antarctica). As a result, not only do we get beautiful seeing and astronomical-imaging conditions, but the most amazingly beautiful and complex snowflakes I've ever seen. Life is good. :)
In a society of snowmen, would these pictures be considered child pornography?
Support your local troll!
Anyone notice how snowflakes look like hexagonal 2D cellular automata?
They exhibit a lot of the variation you see when you change the 'rules' of automata systems.
Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
Does this only confirm my expectations that no one at /. wants to go out? Certainly does! Why don't you go out, spring sun is shining and make a snowman or couple of angels to the snow.
Some of the best eary snow flake photograph are
from Bentley (1930s). There's even a web site
for the Bently snowflake museum.
http://snowflakebentley.com/
Take a break from the trolling, posting and
hacking, and enjoy the photographs. They're
quite beautiful.
er.... did anyone notice that this snowflake has a serial number in the middle (hub) of it?
HaloSim3 Software is a sundog simulator which models how light passes through ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere. Beautiful and fascinating.
I'm not quite sure why this and ice crystals are so fascinating, but I have the book mentioned in the article, which consists of hundreds of black pages with 1" square images of snowflake magnifications. In the first instance it sounds insane, but it never fails to hold peoples attention.
ATH0 Bitcoin: 1DnwFLXczVZV8kLJbMYoheUrpqHesjxrSi
Nice to see stuff like this fly across slashdot on occasion. Helps me take a moment to appreciate all the cool design that was here long before and will remain long after us humans :)
*
and my personal favorite
* *
* *
The above one makes a great desktop for the graphically challenged.
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking
This explanation is obviously handwaving-- the symmetry is perfect (or close to it) over scales of millions of molecules.
I've been arguing since 1980 or so that an ice crystal in freefall is not at absolute zero (obviously) so it must have internal vibrations. This is basically 'noise', but as it echoes thru the ice, it stops looking random and becomes symmetrical, like Chladni patterns on a vibrating plate or drumhead. (Or like the radiating circles from a drip of water into a circular pool, reconverging at an opposite point.) Because these symmetries are present from the first stage of growth, they maintain symmetrical growth.
I don't think the 104.5 degree angle between the hydrogens in water molecules is close enough to 120 to deliver perfect hexagonality-- it's probably due to the geometry of echoes in any disk, because hexagons can be inscribed in circles. (The spinning of the seed probably contributes to the flatness-- growing favors the outside edge of the bulge, otherwise it might be more spherical.)
1
nerds contemplate flakes
inspiring awe, wonder
as a good heatsink
2
each flake is unique
not unlike slashdot stories
oh wait a minute
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Here are some nice fractal generated snowflakes...
...they're pretty cool to watch over your desktop after you turn off the stock background art.
And you wouldn't love them if they came in threes?
You're not fooling anyone, you know.
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
How long until we see a dup posting for this story?
THIS SPACE FOR RENT
These are REALLY cool over here. Took a minute or two to make it work, but they're pretty beautiful.
e o.htm
http://www.lpsi.barc.usda.gov/emusnow/stereo/ster
Also, look at the other electron-microscope images here http://www.lpsi.barc.usda.gov/emusnow/default.htm
This is my Sig.