Mindblowing Mengersponge Animation

[KRAFTWERK]

Found the link on Wikipedia, so you probably have seen it already (maybe someone here did the animation?)

Anyway I thougt the animation was really impressive:

http://www.pure-mirage.com/html/MillersMengerSpongeFastPlay.htm

[kram1032]

O.o impressive what can be done with a stationary camera. GREAT feel for the size

[KRAFTWERK]

I almost got sick by feeling like an atom at the end.. 

[bib]

I was very impressed at the beginning and got bored after 5 or 6 iterations when it starts to get really huge, but anyway it is one of the best Menger sponge animation I've seen.

[Nahee_Enterprises]

I have to agree with Jeremie, starts off rather well, but soon becomes boring.

Would have been better if there was other objects near by to use as a "size reference".  For example, have the cube be a tiny object between a pair of feet (with shoes on).  Then as it gets bigger, pan out to show more of the person, then with a person and a house, then with a large building near by, and finally a small city.  (Of course it would also need to show those other objects getting crushed in the process.)   

But that would really make it great animation!!!   
 

[bib]

  (Of course it would also need to show those other objects getting crushed in the process.)   

Now that's an idea for the next Hollywood movie : "The Attack of the Giant Fractal"

[Nahee_Enterprises]

Now that's an idea for the next Hollywood movie: "The Attack of the Giant Fractal" 

A movie came out back in 1957 about this giant block of metal that went around destroying everything in its path.  The "legs" came down from the four corners of the block.  This MengerSponge animation reminded me of that old movie, entitled "Kronos":

   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050610/
 

[KRAFTWERK]

  (Of course it would also need to show those other objects getting crushed in the process.)   

Would you really be crushed by a mengersponge?
Does it have any mass?... 

[Nahee_Enterprises]

Would you really be crushed by a mengersponge?
Does it have any mass?...   

Personally, I say if it has enough substance to be visible, then it has mass.

But which of the three properties of matter were you referring to, when you said "mass":

• inertial mass
• active gravitational mass
• passive gravitational mass

Or did you mean the everyday usage, where mass is often taken to mean weight??
 

[KRAFTWERK]

I meant, will it kill you if it gets on top of you in earths gravity?

Theoretically it is pierced with an infinite amount of holes, therefore no weight?

(I know the difference between mass and weight, but I guess I meant it has none of it, but I am probably far out as always  )

J

[Sockratease]

I meant, will it kill you if it gets on top of you in earths gravity?

Theoretically it is pierced with an infinite amount of holes, therefore no weight?

(I know the difference between mass and weight, but I guess I meant it has none of it, but I am probably far out as always  )

J

If it has an infinite amount of holes, wouldn't it also have an infinite surface surrounding those holes and therefore infinite weight?

Where's Xeno when you need him??

[bib]

Back to the way the animation is constructed, it is done by adding small cubes to each other, so it definitely has a mass, but it's not a true fractal. If it were constructed by digging holes in a large cube instead of staking small cubes together, then I would say it has no mass and an infinite surface. And I'm sure anyway it would crush everything down to the nano level and beyond!

[kram1032]

if it fell on you, it would cut through you, no matter how much mass it had. Just imagine, how sharp the surface would be.

However, this animations works the other way round.
It grows and grows, so the volume does go to infinity. - It just goes more and more distant so it never hits you. But the base cube always stays the very same size.
This one would indeed have an infinite mass and surface, therefore, the surface wouldn't be as sharp as needed to cut through you without mass.
But as it has mass, it would pretty much squeeze you into an odd shape.

Yuck xD

[KRAFTWERK]

OK I give up!!!  Under the pressure of nothing...

So, if it was a REAL "subtracted" Mengersponge (unlike the animation), you think i would be cut into infinitely small cubes?

COOL way 2 go...

[kram1032]

well, it still depends on the Mengersponge's relative size. If there is one of the big holes right above you and you're small enough to fit through, you're save. But don't dare try to climb out of the cube. Your own weight will be enough to let the cube's surface cut through your hand.

All that assumes no Quantum mechanics.
With Quantum mechanics, some incertainity-effects and stability problems will keep the iteration level low enough to avoid any true danger, I guess... In that case, the cube will have mass but it will be extremely lightweight