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Runaway Logic

by Lindsey McCormack
Spring 2007

Behind this colorscape lurks one of nature’s most violent phenomena: rogue waves, randomly generated walls of water that fascinate scientists and stagger mariners. Eric Heller is a quantum physicist who creates art through the medium of computer models; in “Rogue IV,” Heller studies how eddies from giant currents like the Gulf Stream refract the paths of surrounding waves, creating “hot spots” of energy which, he thinks, give rise to the massive rogues. If the eddy theory holds out, Heller hopes that a “freak index” could become part of the standard marine forecast, helping ships avoid deadly encounters.

The model’s branching patterns inspired Heller to create this work of “algorithmic art,” embellished with his own aesthetic touches—the jewel colors and rippling reflection pool. If the V-shapes look like an exotic weed, Heller points out, it’s because plants follow a branching pattern similar to those of water waves. “It turns out that the branching behavior of wave energy occurs in oceans on the scale of hundreds of miles, and in semiconductors on the scale of microns,” he says. “The beauty is that this is nature repeating herself.”

To view more of Eric Heller's quantum art, visit his online gallery.