Difference between revisions of "Butterfly effect"
(New page: The '''Butterfly effect''', often witnessed in secular science fiction stories, describes the possibility of a person traveling back in time, and inadvertently changing some minisc...) |
(Much better. Describes what The Butterfly Effect pertains too) |
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| − | The '''Butterfly effect''' | + | The '''Butterfly effect''' is the essence of [[Chaos Theory]]. It holds that a system can be sensitve to intial conditions. Such systems can become unstable over time, such as the [[weather]] and gives rise to the notion that a [[Butterfly]] flapping its wings in [[New York]] can cause a [[hurricane]] in the [[pacific]]<ref>http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/beffect.html</ref>. |
| − | + | ==In Popular Culture== | |
| + | The butterfly effect is usually found in [[science fiction]] stories and [[movies]]. It describes the possibility of a person traveling back in time, and inadvertently changing some miniscule thing in the past — such as [[murder|killing]] a [[butterfly]] — that has momentous consequences as time goes by, so that the he returns to a radically altered [[future]]. | ||
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| + | Movies of this type include: | ||
*''[[It's A Wonderful Life]]'' | *''[[It's A Wonderful Life]]'' | ||
Revision as of 21:01, June 15, 2008
The Butterfly effect is the essence of Chaos Theory. It holds that a system can be sensitve to intial conditions. Such systems can become unstable over time, such as the weather and gives rise to the notion that a Butterfly flapping its wings in New York can cause a hurricane in the pacific[1].
In Popular Culture
The butterfly effect is usually found in science fiction stories and movies. It describes the possibility of a person traveling back in time, and inadvertently changing some miniscule thing in the past — such as killing a butterfly — that has momentous consequences as time goes by, so that the he returns to a radically altered future.
Movies of this type include:
The Butterfly effect was also a central theme of Isaac Asimov's short story "A Sound of Thunder", in which a man travels back in time to hunt dinosaurs, and inadvertently shoots a butterfly by mistake. This scenario, while plausible enough as a science fiction story, could certainly never happen in real life.