It's Action, Reaction, Diffusion Interaction

February 23, 2014 6:08 AM

Reaction-diffusion reactions used to design housewares, puzzles, and more. If you want to experiment yourself, you might get some ideas from the demos at WebGL Playground or you might use this brief intro as a jumping-off point.
posted by Wolfdog (13 comments total)

Roll the blobs!
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:35 AM on February 23, 2014 [3 favorites]

I thought for a sec you said "Rob the blobs!" And that, too, would be kind of apropos, robbing natural systems of their secrets....
posted by limeonaire at 7:48 AM on February 23, 2014

Cool. Thanks.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:39 AM on February 23, 2014

I think Nervous System was one of the first folks to build a business model on 3D printing. Not sure they still operates at this scope, but you used to be able to design your ring or other jewelry by playing with some of the cell parameters.
posted by maryr at 8:47 AM on February 23, 2014

Nice! Thanks!
posted by bird internet at 8:49 AM on February 23, 2014

Some of the cell based designs can be played with here
posted by maryr at 8:50 AM on February 23, 2014

Nervous System Cell Cycle: create your own 3d printed jewelry. I don't think it's a reaction-diffusion system, more of a physics based system, but in that it's generative organic forms it's in the same wheelhouse. They're an amazing company, both the web tools and the final jewelry products. I've bought a few as gifts and am very happy with the material quality (and, of course, the design).

I've seen the Hyphae Lamps (or other lamps) in person at the MoMA store and they are gorgeous, particularly lit from inside.

Some of Alan Turing's last work was on reaction-diffusion systems.
posted by Nelson at 8:52 AM on February 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh I forgot, they also have the Radiolara interactive app for designing jewelry on another system. Again, not really reaction-diffusion, but similar feel.

Their online apps were some of the first consumer uses of WebGL I've seen. It's really a phenomenal bit of browser programming. Not to mention the 3d printing. (Can you tell I'm a fanboy?)
posted by Nelson at 8:55 AM on February 23, 2014

There was a related post about reaction-diffusion systems here on the blue in October: Getting trippy with simulated chemicals
posted by James Scott-Brown at 10:09 AM on February 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

This one does a rainbow liquid effect. My son (born in 2002) saw it and started singing the melody to "Yummy Yummy Yummy".
posted by double block and bleed at 10:44 AM on February 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

I too came in here to commend the poster on the title
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:22 PM on February 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

"Action reaction, reaction again..."
posted by jburka at 6:35 PM on February 23, 2014

Play with it in Real Life with Belousov-Zhabotinsky reactions!
posted by phliar at 3:21 PM on February 24, 2014