What is the "Butterfly Effect" theory?

While the wings of a butterfly can do some amazing things, do they have the ability to change the weather? Well, don't be in a hurry, because what you'll know later will surprise you! It all revolves around a theory that you must have heard of before, the butterfly effect theory.

What does Butterfly Effect mean?
During the 139th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, scientist Edward Lawrence posed the question: "Can a flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a hurricane in Texas?" This concept was adopted under the name of the influence or impact of the butterfly in popular culture, and it indicates the importance of accurate accidents in the universe.

Lorenz, a professor of meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Science and Technology, brought up this concept but he meant something completely different, in fact he wanted to point out an opposite point to what was taken. According to his interpretation, he intended to clarify the idea that some complex dynamic systems exhibit unexpected behaviors, such as small variations in initial conditions that can have profound effects broadly on system outcomes, and these results cannot be predicted in advance due to the sensitivity of the systems ’functioning.

This idea put forward by Lorenz has become a basic and branched curriculum in mathematics, and it bears the name Chaos Theory, which has been applied in countless scenarios since its introduction. This branch of mathematics has come to question some of the laws of fundamental physics, especially those suggested by Sir Isaac Newton about the mechanical and predictable nature of the universe.

The relationship between chaos theory and the butterfly effect
The first thing to understand is that the "butterfly effect" is just a metaphor for chaos theory in mathematics.

Chaos Theory means the science of unexpected and non-linear surprises, which teaches us to expect the unexpected. For example, chaos theory deals with things that are difficult to predict, such as weather, stock market and human brain disorders, where these phenomena are described as fractional mathematics, which reflects the endless complexity of nature.


If you look closely at the nature around you, you will find that many phenomena display non-linear fractal properties, such as the behavior of clouds, rivers, trees, landscapes, and many other systems. Understanding these complex and chaotic matters gives you a fresh vision and wisdom in decisions. For example, weather forecasting can make a pilot succeed in directing his plane to the desired location.
Back to Butterfly Effect, Can a Butterfly Flap in Brazil Really Cause a Hurricane in Texas? This does not mean that this can actually happen, but in theory it is possible that a small event, such as this, at the right time and place, causes a set of events that will end up forming a hurricane on the other side of the world.

While it sounds ridiculous as a concept, it is not supposed to be taken literally. The phrase "butterfly effect" is simply meant to demonstrate that a few unimportant events can lead to important results over time.

In other words, small discrepancies in initial conditions can have profound and broadly ramified effects on the system. These chaotic systems are unpredictable in nature.