Butterfly Effect

Definition: Butterfly Effect

Butterfly Effect

Noun

1. The phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago.

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Butterfly Effect

Specialty Definition: Butterfly effect

The butterfly effect, used to describe many chaotic phenomena, was first described as such in reference to weather: that the beating of a butterfly's wings in Brazil might set off a tornado in Texas months later¹. Chaos theory posits that complex systems such as the weather, or the stock market, are difficult to predict due to their sensitivity to small changes. The cumulative effect of these small changes, and their timing, makes it very difficult or impossible to predict future conditions with a high degree of certainty.

¹ Edward Lorenz, in a paper in 1963 given to the New York Academy of Sciences, said: "One meteorologist remarked that if the theory were correct, one flap of a seagull's wings would be enough to alter the course of the weather forever." Later speeches and papers by Lorenz used the more poetic butterfly.

The Butterfly Effect is also the name of a heavy melodic rock band from Brisbane, Australia featuring Clint Boge (lead singer), Kurt Goedhart-Bass (guitar), Ben Hall (drums), Glenn Esmond (bass).

Alternative Orthography: Butterfly Effect

Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)