The Colours of Infinity

This is a fantastic yet completely understandable documentary which discusses in detail the phenomenon of Fractal geometry. Sir Arthur Clarke does an excellent job of never talking down to his audience, yet imparts a great deal of detail in an enjoyable fashion. Interviews with other mathematicians including Prof. Mandelbrot himself adds to the intellectual appeal of this great (and not nearly long enough, IMO) production. The Fractal graphics are utterly breathtaking, and are aided by a perfectly composed musical score by none other than Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame. The Fractal animations alone stand up to repeated viewings for no other reason than they are spectacularly beautiful. Totally recommended! Ten stars out of ten!

"Colors of Infinity" is the very best explanation of fractals in general and the Mandelbrot set in particular ever presented. Arthur C. Clarke's soft-spoken style sets the "common man" at ease, and his pinpoint commentary makes the concept of fractals easy to understand. One need not be a stellar mathematician to grasp the concepts and why they are profound. The experts are trotted out, and they, too, explain fractal geometry in ways that are accessible to everyman.

Fractals are part of our lives, and math informs everything that exists, whether natural or man-made. When I saw this on TV several years ago, it reminded me of the Douglas Adams (of "Hitchhiker's Guide" fame) book "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." In the novel, a software engineer tries to create a program that sets the flapping of a bird's wings to music using mathematical equations. That is exactly what fractals seem to do; they describe events in nature in mathematical ways, and the section of "Colors" which discusses this is eye-opening.

Whether you think you would be interested or not, give this show a viewing. You will be glad you did.

Really excellent watch! Arthur C Clarke explores the discovery of fractal geometry, its importance and connection to the natural world. The colours and shapes created using the Mset are stunning, I was glued to the screen. I definitely didn't watch it on magic mushrooms.

I'd always like to refer the Mandelbrot set as 'they accidentally discovered the code to the universal matrix'

Scary thing is, it's probably true 😂

Be careful with these visuals, they can be overwhelming when unsober.

The music is not by Roger Waters, but by another Pink Floyd alumnus, David Gilmore.