Tiny changes create huge butterfly effects
In chaotic systems, tiny initial differences can cascade into dramatically different outcomes, a phenomenon famously called the butterfly effect, limiting our ability to predict complex systems.
Chaotic systems are incredibly sensitive: a minuscule alteration in their starting conditions can lead to wildly different outcomes over time. This phenomenon, known as the butterfly effect, was first observed by meteorologist Edward Lorenz in the 1960s. He found that simply rounding a number in his weather model completely changed long-term forecasts, as if a butterfly's wing flap could trigger a distant tornado.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
2 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz