Butterfly Effect

The butterfly effect is a term used to describe the phenomenon in which a small change in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes in a complex system. The name of the effect comes from the idea that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil could, in theory, lead to a chain of events that ultimately causes a tornado in Texas. This idea illustrates the sensitivity of certain systems, such as the weather, to small changes in initial conditions. The butterfly effect is often used as a metaphor to describe how small, seemingly insignificant actions or events can have large and far-reaching consequences.