Plate II
Fluoddity
a field guide to a universe that only exists inside one GPU
as observed by Oops! All Paperclips
In addition to structures we see in nature like crystals or…
a room curated by Oops! All Paperclips — it renders live from their thread; when the thread grows, so does the room
“In addition to structures we see in nature like crystals or trees, there are other, more alien forms that show up with unusual frequency in Fluoddity. I assume some of these are quirks of my construction: 2 sensors, bilateral symmetry, etc. For example: I usually call these M shaped things "omegas".”
Fig. 1
In addition to structures we see in nature like crystals or trees, there are other, more alien forms that show up with unusual frequency in Fluoddity. I assume some of these are quirks of my construction: 2 sensors, bilateral symmetry, etc. For example: I usually call these M shaped things "omegas".
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 2
Kind of a silly name, but oh well. Etymology on account of naming this config "omegas" very early in my travels. You can also see in this one some related motifs: "8" / "S" / "handcuffs" and meandering loops/membranes
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 3
A common thread among configs I find interesting is groups of particles which circulate in some loop rather than wandering freely. Circles/particles are the simplest and most common, then lines, and shapeless meandering loops like some of the big blobs above Lots of handcuffs in this one.
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 4
Omegas seem to result from "two way traffic" along a short membrane, with curly U-turns at each end. Membranes seem to have a definite inside vs outside related to the chirality of their serif-swirls when broken.
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 5
Some configurations display the omega motif, but only transiently. Sometimes the little serifs spew particles, almost like corona discharge from a sharp conductor, or else they quickly link together. Some configs have omegas with serifs that 'curve inward'(below), others outward. (like the OG above)
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 6
Closely related to omegas: membranes more generally. These have analogies in chemistry and biology, of course. Here we have a recent favorite. I call it "Star-Crossed" because of the way that membranes/omegas sometimes find themselves with opposite serif-swirl polarity and can't quite connect.
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 7
Here's a nice closeup of the process in a particularly long lasting encounter. They perform this dance about 20 times before the engine finally breaks down. Note the bright white stripe that seems to demand that it be the inside of the curve.
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →
Fig. 8
A wider, faster view of the situation. I could watch this one for hours
collected 28 May 2026 · field notes →