Most people are familiar with the concept of “butterfly effect” from cinema and literature. For the first time it sounded in the work of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, "And the thunder struck." However, in his interpretation a somewhat erroneous idea about this phenomenon was formed. In science, it has a different semantic content.

The meaning of the term “butterfly effect” in simple words

According to the plot of the film, the hunter goes to the Mesozoic era on a safari. He can shoot only that dinosaur, which would have already died. But accidentally leaving the path, he crushed the moth, and returning in due time, the unlucky traveler found himself in a world that had changed beyond recognition. The meaning of the plot is that the slightest interference in the events of the past can radically change the future. This is also the meaning of the film “Butterfly Effect”, in which the hero periodically sets off during his youth in order to change the future for the better. However, this is fantastic ... And what does science say?

The term “butterfly effect” was introduced by meteorologist Edward Lorenz. He calculated a computer model of changes in weather phenomena and, to optimize the research, he rounded up all the smallest mathematical data to three decimal places. In fact, it turned out that such a completely insignificant change in the initial data can lead to a significant distortion of the weather forecast. Having discovered this, in his article in the scientific journal Lorenz suggested that a winged butterfly in Brazil could cause a real tornado somewhere in America.

This means that the world around is not at all subject to the strict laws of development, where one follows from the other.On the contrary, any chance can change it beyond recognition. This is the meaning of its existence and constant evolution.

Psychology phenomenon

In psychology, there is also the concept of the butterfly effect, and what it means is easy to understand. Here, such a phenomenon is not interpreted in the aspect of the theory of cause and effect, but acts as a visual method for a person to mobilize internal reserves to overcome life's difficulties.

Each person has a set of both positive and negative qualities of character, and I would often like to get rid of the latter. In fact, negative traits are a mirror image of positive qualities, like the wings of a butterfly. If you get rid of the wing, which conditionally represents a negative, then with one “wing” the butterfly (read “individual”) will become unviable.

To change for the better and accomplish something significant in life, a person should not engage in self-digging. This will only lead to self-abasement and a breakdown of the nervous system.

What is needed is completely different:

  1. One should realize the very existence of both positive and negative qualities, moreover, in as much detail as possible.
  2. Take for granted those traits that do not fit into your own idea of ​​yourself as a “good person”. Even those who do not want to put up with.
  3. To understand that the positive and the negative are deeply interconnected and cannot exist without one another. These features complement each other and are mutually supportive. These are opposites, but in themselves are neither good nor evil.Fighting negative traits is futile. It takes tremendous effort, but no results. If you combine all the pros and cons into a single whole, then you can achieve much higher results in life, learn to rule over circumstances, and not be on their minds.
  4. Forgive yourself for past mistakes. To give the opportunity to be a man, not a "saint" in their own misunderstanding of this phenomenon. This will be the reward for such a serious internal work.
  5. To unite, mobilize all forces to deal with external difficulties. Start active with now doubled energy.

Butterfly Effect and Chaos Theory

In any set of coincidences, you can find your own patterns, lining up into a whole system. In other words, everything in the world is interconnected. Absolutely for any event, you can find the cause and effect, and therefore, make a forecast.

However, the concept of chaos theory suggests that dynamic, or evolving, moving systems are extremely dependent on their initial developmental conditions. Therefore, any, even their most insignificant change (butterfly effect) will lead to unpredictable consequences. Thus, the butterfly effect, as a concept from the theory of chaos, is a property of a developing system. Chaos is an arising accident. Her appearance can be confidently predicted. However, anything to predict the result, using specific data, it becomes almost impossible.

Errors accumulate in the development of chaotic systems over time. Their number will grow very quickly and easily exceed the predictability threshold.

Hollywood gave an incorrect idea of ​​chaos theory and the butterfly effect. Since in the film of the same name the hero, returning to the past, changed the initial conditions and then received a certain result in the future. According to quantum mechanics, the initial conditions are indefinable. The development of the system cannot be stable, the threat of its getting out of control is growing. Therefore, it is impossible to determine either the initial conditions that need to be changed or the specific result.

Hence the conclusion that fundamental analysis (in simple words, the traditional approach) cannot be applied to dynamical systems.Chaos theory, as a research method in science, is used to examine the phenomenon from a new perspective. Using this theory, it is possible to study only the general behavior of a system, without taking into account specific data. Patterns are especially well traced when monitoring several similar systems at once.

This research method is used in the natural sciences, for example, biology, since wildlife is the most randomly developing system. It is sometimes impossible to squeeze it into the framework of traditional graphs and rigorous mathematical formulas. But there is another wonderful opportunity to build spatial diagrams, phase attractors, draw fractals, etc.

Such an approach made it possible to predict the growth of populations of living creatures, the spread of epidemiological diseases, and even to identify heart rhythm pathologies.

Life examples and interesting facts

Understanding the butterfly effect is easy enough with concrete examples from life. Our whole world is chaos, but in reality it is a pattern of a certain higher order, which we, mere mortals, have not yet been able to comprehend. Therefore, the slightest shifts, changes in reality lead to very significant consequences as a result.

Here are some simple examples:

  1. One citizen from Stockton (California), in 2003 provoked a global banking crisis through his actions. He just did not pay a mortgage of 250 thousand dollars.
  2. The British soldier during World War I did not shoot a young wounded German, whose name was Adolf Hitler. If he had done this, perhaps the Second World War would not have happened.
  3. A small mistake by the German spokesman, who did not quite correctly interpret the new law, led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The law said that some citizens of East Germany can sometimes be in West Berlin. However, in the legislation there were no any more understandable and clear explanations to this information. Therefore, taking advantage of the discouragement of the police, the crowd simply demolished part of the wall.
  4. One of the city council members killed a strange dog bothering him - he fed him food, into which he added broken glass. The animal died, causing mental pain to its owner, a little boy. He decided to restore justice and told everyone he could about who was responsible for the death of his beloved pet. As a result, this flayer could not get enough votes to advance to Congress. The boy, on this example, realized what she was, the political struggle. He grew up and became a member of Congress. As a congressman, he organized American assistance to Afghan mujahideen who fought against Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Having thus spawned two terrorist organizations - the Taliban and al-Qaeda. What this led to, today everyone knows.
  5. Some little-known breeder Norman Bolog created new varieties of vegetables and fruits that had high survival in harsh conditions. Thus, he saved millions of people from hunger in the 20th century.
  6. In the literature, if you recall, there are many similar examples. What is Woland’s famous phrase in “The Master and Margarita” worth saying that Annushka has already spilled oil, which, in fact, begins the unfolding of all the phantasmagoric events in the novel.

Of course, one can still find similar examples from life that demonstrate the butterfly effect, however, not all of them will actually be such. There is a likelihood that the appearance of the same fascism or terrorism could be triggered by other people, even if in the above examples Hitler was killed and the dog was alive. Perhaps fascism and terrorism would simply be called differently and it is possible that they would lead to even more terrible consequences. However, to predict this or to predict is not possible. Since those accidents that can change our world are not known.

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