Chaos theory
MAY 23, 2016
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.031227
In 1972, Edward Lorenz gave a presentation titled: “Predictability: Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” The term “butterfly effect” was born. Lorenz, who was born on this day in 1917, was a pioneer of chaos theory, which analyzes how subtle changes in the initial conditions of a system can lead to widely differing outcomes. This 2013 Physics Today article examines Lorenz and the birth of chaos theory.
Date in History: 23 May 1972
© 2016 American Institute of Physics
