Comments on: Acrylic fractal art made by bombarding slabs of plastic in a particle accelerator http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 22:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: tjohnson http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1345149 tjohnson Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1345149 Good question!  This facility produces crosslinked polymer products such as PEX tubing and some automotive and appliance parts. Good question!  This facility produces crosslinked polymer products such as PEX tubing and some automotive and appliance parts.

]]> By: tjohnson http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1345143 tjohnson Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1345143 Right, Jim. The pieces are quite stable even if dropped on the floor hard enough to chip a corner off. Crossed polarizers show little internal stress.   Now I _have_ tried to do this with glass just for fun. Although it can be charged and a faint figure will form, it's not reliably stable. Some last a long time, some crumble after a day or so, and some just explode when merely touched with the discharge tool. Right, Jim. The pieces are quite stable even if dropped on the floor hard enough to chip a corner off. Crossed polarizers show little internal stress.

  Now I _have_ tried to do this with glass just for fun. Although it can be charged and a faint figure will form, it’s not reliably stable. Some last a long time, some crumble after a day or so, and some just explode when merely touched with the discharge tool.

]]> By: gadgetphile http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344308 gadgetphile Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344308 The Lightning Foundry Kickstarter project (previously covered here) also had those as a reward- that's the reason I signed up for the $300 level. The Lightning Foundry Kickstarter project (previously covered here) also had those as a reward- that’s the reason I signed up for the $300 level.

]]> By: nphighview http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344303 nphighview Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344303 For those of you who don't already know Todd, he's a physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, so if anyone would know where there's commercial accelerator time to rent, he would! For those of you who don’t already know Todd, he’s a physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, so if anyone would know where there’s commercial accelerator time to rent, he would!

]]> By: EvilTerran http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344281 EvilTerran Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344281 Inject some kind of dyed resin into the gaps, maybe? Although I doubt you'd be able to get it into all the fine details. Inject some kind of dyed resin into the gaps, maybe? Although I doubt you’d be able to get it into all the fine details.

]]> By: HahTse http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344242 HahTse Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344242 Of course. Of course.

]]> By: GlenBlank http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344241 GlenBlank Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344241 <blockquote>...so it's no more fractal than a tree.</blockquote> Perhaps more precisely, it's no <i>less</i> fractal than a tree.

…so it’s no more fractal than a tree.

Perhaps more precisely, it’s no less fractal than a tree.

]]> By: Art http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344234 Art Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344234 Maybe he's talking about that commercial particle accelerator that's sandwiched in between Embroideries-R-Us and the Copper Roofing King in the old industrial park. Maybe he’s talking about that commercial particle accelerator that’s sandwiched in between Embroideries-R-Us and the Copper Roofing King in the old industrial park.

]]> By: Art http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344230 Art Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344230  No, you are not!  :)  No, you are not!  :)

]]> By: blueelm http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344218 blueelm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344218 I wonder if there is a way to make it more stable afterwards or keep the pieces in place.  I wonder if there is a way to make it more stable afterwards or keep the pieces in place. 

]]> By: HahTse http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344192 HahTse Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344192 A fractal. You know. Like a Koch snowflake or a Mandelbrot set. Or what did you mean? A fractal. You know. Like a Koch snowflake or a Mandelbrot set.

Or what did you mean?

]]> By: travtastic http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344190 travtastic Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344190  As opposed to what?  As opposed to what?

]]> By: Noctilucent Studios http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344165 Noctilucent Studios Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344165 THIS right here is why I love BB so much. Holy Cow, that is just plain awesome!!! also, who knew that one could rent time on a "commercial particle accelerator"?! THIS right here is why I love BB so much. Holy Cow, that is just plain awesome!!!

also, who knew that one could rent time on a “commercial particle accelerator”?!

]]> By: Peter James http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344152 Peter James Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344152 Am I the only one that's surprised that you can rent time on a particle accelerator?!? Am I the only one that’s surprised that you can rent time on a particle accelerator?!?

]]> By: liquidstar http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344123 liquidstar Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344123 I don t know.  The technique is... convoluted and interesting,  but they have all the charm of a laminated business card.  and those cookie cutter pieces,  awful.  I don t know.  The technique is… convoluted and interesting,  but they have all the charm of a laminated business card.  and those cookie cutter pieces,  awful. 

]]> By: HahTse http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344108 HahTse Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344108  ...so it's no more fractal than a tree. Oh well, it's quite beautiful nonetheless.  …so it’s no more fractal than a tree.

Oh well, it’s quite beautiful nonetheless.

]]> By: kthugha http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344104 kthugha Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344104 they are fractal the same way lightning bolts are fractal. they are fractal the same way lightning bolts are fractal.

]]> By: Alice Bentley http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344101 Alice Bentley Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344101 From the DeviantArt page:  As the charges leave the plastic, they gather into channels following fractal branching rules just like river deltas, plants, and capillaries.  Controlling the energy and placement of the beam determines the final shape and character of the resulting figure. From the DeviantArt page: 
As the charges leave the plastic, they gather into channels following fractal branching rules just like river deltas, plants, and capillaries.  Controlling the energy and placement of the beam determines the final shape and character of the resulting figure.

]]> By: Jim Nelson http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344090 Jim Nelson Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344090 Actually, the residual stresses go away pretty quickly - a friend of mine has one made in the early 90s that is quite stable. Provided you don't go completely insane in how you charge it, there's still plenty of solid material left. I've never heard of one just breaking under its own weight, but then again, there are very few Lichtenberg figures around that are that big - those sell for thousands of dollars... Actually, the residual stresses go away pretty quickly – a friend of mine has one made in the early 90s that is quite stable. Provided you don’t go completely insane in how you charge it, there’s still plenty of solid material left.

I’ve never heard of one just breaking under its own weight, but then again, there are very few Lichtenberg figures around that are that big – those sell for thousands of dollars…

]]> By: HahTse http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344065 HahTse Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344065 How is this fractal? How is this fractal?

]]> By: DoctorD http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344045 DoctorD Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344045 For over ~four decades medical physicists have been goofing around making these discharge patterns in acrylic using high energy electron beams from clinical linear accelerators (treatment machines). I particularly like the 3D effects seen in thick blocks of acrylic. However, I'm not sure I'd want a 200 pound slab of irradiated acrylic hanging on my wall as "art" since the plastic is liable to suddenly fracture along these very fault lines. Doug, Ph.D. For over ~four decades medical physicists have been goofing around making these discharge patterns in acrylic using high energy electron beams from clinical linear accelerators (treatment machines). I particularly like the 3D effects seen in thick blocks of acrylic. However, I’m not sure I’d want a 200 pound slab of irradiated acrylic hanging on my wall as “art” since the plastic is liable to suddenly fracture along these very fault lines. Doug, Ph.D.

]]> By: Mari Lwyd http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344039 Mari Lwyd Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344039 a wild image appears and stalks my previous comment.. a wild image appears and stalks my previous comment..

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344038 Incipient Madness Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344038 When I make my sci-fi epic film, damage to the ship's armor is going to look like this.  When I make my sci-fi epic film, damage to the ship’s armor is going to look like this. 

]]> By: Mari Lwyd http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344037 Mari Lwyd Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344037 Did someone mention horse chestnuts? Did someone mention horse chestnuts?

]]> By: miasm http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344033 miasm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344033  did someone say chestnuts?  did someone say chestnuts?

]]> By: Nathaniel http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344028 Nathaniel Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344028 Very cool indeed.  But the video left me with one question: what's that big industrial electron beam used for when it's not making art? Very cool indeed.  But the video left me with one question: what’s that big industrial electron beam used for when it’s not making art?

]]> By: Mari Lwyd http://boingboing.net/2012/02/12/acrylic-fractal-art-made-by-bo.html#comment-1344014 Mari Lwyd Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=143493#comment-1344014 And we'll start the conversation off with that ol' chestnut: <blockquote>But is it Art, art, or something else?</blockquote> And we’ll start the conversation off with that ol’ chestnut:

But is it Art, art, or something else?

]]>