August 05, 2011

As many holes as you want

Seems I have potholes on the brain. Just got back from a very late night drive where long stretches of major roads were no more than long stretches of potholes.

My latest essay for my Mint "A Matter of Numbers" column is on the air (today Friday Aug 5). It's about potholes, and it finds a way to relate them to both BenoƮt Mandelbrot and a (large) tablecloth.

Take a look: As many holes as you want.

Comments welcome, as always.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

So is the number of pot holes equal to the number of kettle holes? Or are they one and the same? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

Nice write-up though. Clear and fun to read. Although I thought pot holes are approximately of the size of an automobile tire, order of magnitude. Not as small as pinholes or atoms or as large as Lake Superior.

A Chrysanthemum by any other name... said...

how can the coastline be infinite? u can go down to the contours of each individual atom, but there are a finite amount of atoms of finite size.

jamesreegan said...

I thought pot holes are approximately of the size of an automobile tire, order of magnitude.