Crystal cube 3D maps of the universe

[Martin]

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week225.html

 

John Baez posted a Christmas Eve issue of his personal journal

"This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics"

and it had some neat stuff, like a 3D crystal cube model of a typical large chunk of the universe

 

edge of cube is roughly 1/3 of a billion lightyears

 

it is lit from below, and shows galaxies, clusters, superclusters, filaments

 

and free online pictures of same

the picture in TWF rotates---at least it did for me once it finished download

 

also a periodic minimal surface discovered by Alan Schoen that divides all of 3D space into two parts. minimal surfaces are those that soapfilm makes on wire frames----so the Schoen surface is minimal, like a soapfilm, and infinite, and infinitely repeating, and divides space into two mutually intertwined parts. like separate interlocked termite-nest system of tunnels.

 

Baez is a mathematician and likes such stuff. If you don't know his TWF series, you might enjoy checking out earlier TWF issues---some beautiful pictures, and also mathematical ideas

[luc]

i find the crystal model fascinating, but it seems that it will be inaccurate, given that recently it was found that the Perseus arm is twice as close as was previously believed. but I could be wrong, becuase I don't know when the artwork was finished

 

Nonetheles, the model is surely a magnificent gift for this christmas

[Martin]

i find the crystal model fascinating' date=' but it seems that it will be inaccurate, given that recently it was found that the Perseus arm is twice as close as was previously believed. but I could be wrong, becuase I don't know when the artwork was finished

 

Nonetheles, the model is surely a magnificent gift for this christmas[/quote']

 

glad you like this stuff, luc

 

I just came across a gallery of microscope photos that are very pretty

 

http://www.microscopyu.com/smallworld/gallery/contests/2003/index2003.html

 

they have a contest every year, this just happens to be for 2003.

 

I know your interest is in astronomy but perhaps you or others might like to browse some of these photographs of very small stuff