A Conversation for The Language of Coastal Projections

Wow

Post 1

Vip

This is a fantastic article. What's scary is that I recognise most of the terms, but I could have never named them off the top of my head.

smiley - ok

smiley - fairy


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Post 2

Moonhogg - Captain Coffee Break

A fascinating article - but I'm intrigued as to how someone worked out that our coastline is infinite! smiley - huh


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Post 3

IctoanAWEWawi

it's the fractal bit. Basically you can zoom in on a fractal an infinite amount and still see the same sort of details. There is no bottom level to one. So no matter how close you look at it, there is still more detail below that level of magnification.

A coast line is given as an example. The closer you look at it the more ins and outs and 'squiggly bits' you see and have to measure. These thus increase the overall length. Even going down to the atomic level the atoms don;t line up in a nice straight line - some are in front, some behind. So that too adds to the overall length.

It is, basically, a mathematical model of the actual coastline and not the real thing. And, once you get quantum, things aren;t in a defined position anyway so you can;t say that something *is* here or there thus it is rather difficult to measure it.

s'all quantum, init.


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Post 4

Icy North

Thanks all smiley - smiley

If it helps, Moonhogg, compare it to a cross-section through a blancmange:

A17719220


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Post 5

Moonhogg - Captain Coffee Break

I must admit, I've never compared the coastline to a blancmangellar cross-section, but I shall be licking the rocks next time I go to the seaside!smiley - laugh


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Post 6

IctoanAWEWawi

Nurse! Nurse! He's having one of his turns again!
smiley - nurse


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Post 7

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


*smiley - nurse Just Arrived jiggles, wiggles and slides__________ into action*


*husky voiced and purring*....


Can I help you boys?


*winks to stop her eye rolling on the floor* smiley - winkeye


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Post 8

Moonhogg - Captain Coffee Break

WAAHHH!!!! smiley - yikes

She's in here as well!!!

smiley - run


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Post 9

Icy North

Lil is one of h2g2's leading authorities on fractal mathematics, I'll have you know.


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Post 10

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


I am?? smiley - erm

Oh... Yes! I must be, if you say so smiley - geek


smiley - laugh


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Post 11

IctoanAWEWawi

I think you'll find that is 'fractured mathematics'...


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Post 12

Moonhogg - Captain Coffee Break

Or fractured Matt-matics... smiley - lurk


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Post 13

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


smiley - doh

That's not nice!

You leave my Matt alone! smiley - lurk


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Post 14

Matt-The-Matt. Hand wash, 30'c, drip dry, don't iron.

I'm not *your* Matt.

I'm mine.

smiley - lurk


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Post 15

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


Look, fractured Matt-he-Matt-ics, Auto-Mattics, whatever...

I found my Matt smiley - lurk


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Post 16

Matt-The-Matt. Hand wash, 30'c, drip dry, don't iron.

I keep finding all the crumbs and rubbish you sweep under me, that doesn't make it mine!!


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Post 17

Icy North

"Would it help if I stuck my head in a bucket of water?" said Marvin...


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Post 18

Moonhogg - Captain Coffee Break

Hello, Icy's just phoned up to wash his head at us...


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Post 19

lil ~ Auntie Giggles with added login ~ returned


In this weather?

He'll go all rusty! smiley - headhurts


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Post 20

MonkeyS- all revved up with no place to go

The SINGLE most amazing piece of information is that I've finally found out that Paul McCartney wasn't singing Mulligan Tyre!

The song makes a little more sense now. Not much, but a little.


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