Lemons and Bicycles

The following evening they were at RIAUS, seated at a circular table near the stage, drinking white wine. An eccentric-looking man was standing at the back corner of the stage fiddling with a laptop.

This turned out to be Professor Barnsley.

Yoiks! he said, turning around to look at his audience. 

Hehehe! tittered the audience, nervously. The professor was wearing old brown runners, suit pants and a blue cotton shirt with the lower button undone.

Professor Barnsley explained what superfractals were. It was something to do with clingwrap, and the Euclidean plane.

Are you good? he asked.

Yes, nodded everyone. We are good.

He showed them some artistic superfractal attractors that he had created out of ordinary photographs.

See that beautiful one on the wall over there, he said. That is lemons.

Woo! said everyone, admiringly, looking at the wall.

Later, said Professor Barnsley, we'll have a break, and you can look at my Frango-Camera.

Soon it was the break.

Belle et Bonne went over to have a closer look at the lemons. All the elements of the lemons were there in the picture that looked like a forest scene with fish and waterfalls and ferns. The longer she looked the more her brain tried to see lemons.

Le Bon David joined the crowd looking at the Frango-Camera.

The Velodrone stepped up onto the stage and went up to Professor Barnsley.

Interesting talk, said The Velodrone. Nice art.

Thanks, said the professor. Do you have a question?

Ever done one with bicycles? asked The Velodrone. I should think the two wheels would make a lovely double homeomorphism to begin with.

Yes I have, said Professor Barnsley. A Mobius transformation. Fascinatingly, the bicycle wheels remained  round. Well, roundish anyway. Bicycles eh? I used to ride a bicycle when I was at Oxford.

Really? said The VeloDrone. So did I.