I was shocked yesterday afternoon. I turned on the television to see what was on for my kids (PBS, of course) only to see, not Bob the Builder or Word World, but the Cantor set being constructed right before my eyes.

It turned out that it was a new NOVA special called Hunting the Hidden Dimension (preview). The tag line is: mysteriously beautiful fractals are shaking up the world of mathematics and deepening our understanding of nature.

I watched a little of it before being pulled away by the kids to do other things. It seemed to overdramatize the subject, but I enjoyed watching what I saw. I plan to go back and watch the rest soon (the full 50 minute program is available online).

The website for the episode also contains applets, an interview with Mandelbrot, and resources for teachers.