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Mandelbrot the fractal teddy-bear

Cory Doctorow at 4:03 am Sat, Jan 10, 2009

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Jake von Slatt sez, "This is a fractal Teddy Bear named Mandelbrot, he was brought into this world a few weeks ago by my friend Captain Mouse as a gift for her brother."

Mandelbrot the Fractal Bear (Thanks, Jake!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE:  Happy Mutants • Kids • maker

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  • Hentosz

    Yeah, I don’t get the “creepy” reaction at all, either. Very cute, Mouse. Next time sprout out the feet, too!

  • Jake von Slatt

    Wow! I’m really surprised out how many people find Mandelbrot creepy! How could you not love something that can hug you on the molecular level?

  • Anonymous

    I am reminded of the perfect expression of infinity:

    A tattoo on a butt, OF a butt, with a butt tattoed on the tattoo butt.

    I am totally going to get it one day

  • Agent 86

    Delightful, and not even creepy! Cpt Mouse (if you happen to be a BB reader) how long did this take to make? Seems like a fun gift for a nerdy Valentines.

  • LSK

    Creepy.

  • eclectro

    I have to agree with #8 Maturin, that it is related to the “thing.” It is all nice and cuddly until it gets close enough to paw you with it’s eight heads so it can drink your brains with a straw.

    Kind of like a friendly Cthulhu.

  • General Specific

    Want.

  • fogonthetoon

    Possibly the most disturbing thing I have ever seen.

  • GammaBlog

    Yes, very creepy, should have been tagged Unhappy Mutants.

  • Patrick Dodds

    Not creepy. Happy.

  • Anonymous

    I think it is clever and cool.

  • Rezpect

    I really love this.

  • maturin

    looks live John Carpenter’s THE THING got a hold of a polar bear

  • Tenn

    This is incredible I want one. Great job, Mouse!

  • gothicgeek

    sweet and funny!

    not creepy at all…..

  • Factran

    Look ! Here is an animated gif fractal bear.
    http://www.cyriak.co.uk/gifs022.html

    The idea of a fractal bear was also (but less) experimented in this Philip Starck Bear :
    http://www.trendsnow.net/trends_now_/2007/04/teddybearband.html

    I find this Creepy and happy at the same time !!

  • kiltreiser

    Eww, not too keen on that. Now I have images of a creepy teddy spawning infinite numbers of tiny creepy teddies. So much for sleeping tonight…

  • Robbo

    Want want want want want.

  • deon

    good night my friend, save your self for a good people, please, help me for backlink

  • John Markos O’Neill

    It reminds me of Matt Groening’s “The 24 Warning Signs of Stress.” The panel is “Weird Dreams,” a rabbit with rabbits growing out of its ears. “Very Weird Dreams” are the same, except with more rabbits growing out of the ear rabbits.

  • Noelegy

    Chernobyl bear!

  • eustace

    As they get smaller (and more numerous) they get happier! Check out the smiles (those available without microscopy, that is).

  • Cloudform

    Very cool—this is very similar, but I think it gets the fractal aspect down better, given what the object itself (nesting doll) is recursive:

    http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2008/08/manifesta-the-chernobyld-matri.php

  • bolamig

    By far the coolest sewing project I’ve seen. Much cooler than the felt owl pillows that seem all the rage these days. I like that the fur even has a fractally quality to it. I like the unintentional cancer creepiness too. Nice job!

  • Gexydaf

    Certainly a conversation piece :D

  • Ian70

    Isn’t it enough to know that I ruined a teddy,
    making a gift for you?

  • palindromic

    Not sure if want..

  • iveexa

    #26: “fractally oversexed”? Now that’s a phrase that scares me to death …

  • arkizzle

    “fractally oversexed”

    Yeah, that Julia Set. She just goes on and on and on..

  • arkizzle

    That’s just her porn name though, she’s listed in the phone book, recursively..

  • Shelby Davis

    Love the idea of a fractal plushie–but can’t help thinking of choriocarcinoma from “When You Care, You Love” by Sturgeon.

  • TharkLord

    Yes. Thats what I want.

    When I first heard about those “Build-A-Bear” stores I thought they actually let kids add the arms, legs and head. What a great opportunity for childish creativity and adult irreverance! Sadly, they just get to dress the damn thing. More programming for the consumer society.

    What a great store it would be if they had bins of arms, legs, eyes, tentacles, horns, tails, etc. All in fuzzy, plushy forms!

    sigh…

  • mightymouse1584

    wow. i hope he makes more of these. i would definitely want one!

  • Haesae

    love love love.
    want want want.
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • cha0tic

    Probably the greatest soft toy in the universe.

  • urshrew

    Appreciate the idea, but:

    Nightmare Fuel.

  • Takuan

    gives me an idea; a crib with mirror sides.

  • dbarak

    The copy editor in me comes out: The L is missing in Mandelbrot in the article title and the HTML page title. Just FYI.

  • planettom

    The problem with making one of these is that you can never finish…you have to keep adding on smaller and smaller Teddy Bear growths…

  • Brad S.

    It’s cute and all, but did it instantly remind anyone else of the two-headed calf???

  • Takuan

    two headed calf? as a stuffed toy? Brilliant!

  • Takuan

    how about a stuffed plushie Beast of Revelation? Leviathan? Behemoth? Pazuzu from the Exorcist?

  • holtt

    I’m waiting for Mandelbrats (fractal sausages) or MandelBratz (fractally oversexed dolls).

    Of course there are Mandelbrains (the closer you look at someone, the smarter you realize they are), Mandelbras (cups within cups) and the Mandelbro of course.

  • LB

    As someone who remember what it was like to anthropomorphize stuffed animals as a kid:

    CREEPY.

  • Takuan

    http://lifeloom.com/BehemothBlake.jpg

  • Takuan

    Barsoom plushies? Or how about all the beasts from the Heinlein juveniles (star beast, martian bouncer…)

  • hereaftermouse

    AGENT 86: It took about a day of sewing – maybe 11 hours. That doesn’t include trying to find the parts though.

    I had no idea people would find it creepy when I made it… Maybe that says something about me?

  • Takuan

    I think it’s sweet.

  • GammaBlog

    The teddy is sprouting cancerous tumors with eyes and mouths, or it has hand puppets that have hand puppets.