The Butterfly Effect

To those unfamiliar with the concept, the Butterfly Effect is a phrase that summarises the complicated idea of the Chaos Theory - which is to do with "sensitive dependence on initial conditions" ie. small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behaviour of the system.

In English, the Butterfly Effect refers to the idea that tiny little changes at one place in a complex system of constant movement may cause large changes to the future of that system.

It comes from the theory that a butterfly's wings may generate diminutive alterations in the Earth's atmosphere that could possibly ultimately alter the direction of a cyclone, defer, accelerate or impede the occurance in a particular location.

However, although I believe that this concept is verified I still believe that it is highly improbable. I mean really think about it: is it likely that a minute change in the molecular structure of atmospheric matter caused by a butterfly merely shifting into a more comfortable position, could possibly instigate a twister to occur twenty or more miles away??
No! I mean, you could claim that about anything! You could say that a person's fate was determined by their decision to go a different way home because a streetlamp was fused on the route they would normally take which would hinder their journey, and therefore they instead died due to the colonization of some mutated pathogens which are immune to antibiotics and that happened to be hanging around the alternative route.
Does this mean that the chairman of the local council is at fault for this person's death because he did not issue a replacement for that streetlamp??

Yeah, I know; I'm getting a bit hysterical but honestly. Inevitably, yeah, small variations may cause larger phenomenons to occur but the more obvious factors are generally the more significant. The fictional person who was killed by psychotic bacteria could have decided to cover her mouth and nose with her scarf because it was cold and therefore may not have been infected at all.

So let us not blame the poor butterfly for stretching his wings amongst the Buddleja in your front garden when the BBC News informs us of a tsunami hitting Britain due to changes in the North Atlantic Current - it was probably because you didn't turn the standby button off on your TV.

Which brings me on to my next point....

Calm down! I'm kidding - rant over ;)