This video showcases some new features of the deferred rendering system in my Logos Engine including HDR, auto-exposure, edge detect anti-aliasing, shadow mapping and more. Check the page for more info.

I’ve always used and loved Electric Sheep. This dynamic, genetic-algorithm driven fractal producing screen saver has left me breathless for the two years I’ve used it so far. Since my recent dive into recursive and multi-dimensional math I finally decided to look into this thing a little further. After reading about the technology used in the fractals, I discovered the Flam3 (1992) technology used to produce the fractals has manifested itself all over my laptop already. I have a version of Apophysis running under Wine on my computer. This can be used to produce all sorts of fractal images and videos! Next I discovered there was a simpler way to generate single frame flames using two stock GIMP plugins that use the same Flam3 technology (there is a third fractal plugin, but I am unsure of its origins).

So I decided I needed to make a fractal symbol for my universal logo (think Prince, but far nerdier and less… Prince). I decided this was an amazing idea. I stumbled around with a few ideas until I found an elegant little swirl that seemed pretty stately to me. Now that I had the dimensions and coordinates I needed to make this shape, I can reproduce it in different shapes, colors, depths, resolutions and almost anything else I need. It exists on my computer as a handful of numbers specifying the shape. These can even be reused in Apophysis to generate an animation based around the shape. One of the neatest features I enjoyed was the ability to dynamically recolor the shape with various gradients and color palettes.

Here is a nice render of the shape and my first sad attempt at trying to make a catchy logo with it. More better ones to come later!

All fields of the standard model and gravity are unified as an E8 principal bundle connection. A non-compact real form of the E8 Lie algebra has G2 and F4 subalgebras which break down to strong su(3), electroweak su(2) x u(1), gravitational so(3,1), the frame-Higgs, and three generations of fermions related by triality. The interactions and dynamics of these 1-form and Grassmann valued parts of an E8 superconnection are described by the curvature and action over a four dimensional base manifold.Abstract from Lisi’s 30 page paper. 0711.0770 at arXiv

A. Garrett Lisi may have just uncovered the secret to a Grand Unifcation Theory. The theory behind most GUTs is that at high energy levels, one can combine all the acting forces (Electromagnetic, gravity, weak nuclear, strong nuclear, gravity, etc.) into one unified model of energy. One difficulty with GUTs is where to put gravity, and how to put it… anywhere! This theory uses E8 math and other subalgebras to embed all these forces into a grand unified theory of everything! Here’s a render of the E8 plane.

This model has gained quick praise as the math behind it (you wont think so after trying to read it) is quite elegant and simple. It also behaves correctly with the previously found rules of physics.

Even better, it does not require more than one dimension of time and three of space, when some rival theories need ten or even more spatial dimensions and other bizarre concepts. And it may even be possible to test his theory, which predicts a host of new particles, perhaps even using the new Large Hadron Collider atom smasher that will go into action near Geneva next year.

Quote from Telegraphs article Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything.

If you want to blow your mind, read this article!!! It’ll take a lot of reference for the more advanced math, but you can bumble your way through it (I did!).