A fractal is a mathematical structure that has detailed structure no matter how close you look at it. What you see is an infinite pattern somehow compressed into finite space.
Fractals are educational because they illustrate many basic mathematical functions.
Fractals are intimately connected with this dynamic way of life. The study of fractals cannot help but increase our knowledge of society's dynamic systems. Furthermore, fractals may not only be able to help us model the stock market, oil spills, and forest fires, but they can also help us understand the limits of our ability to predict them.