Monday 9 June 2008

close, but no cigar

In Havana, the Robert Redford character says that 'A butterfly can flutter its wings over a flower in China and cause a hurricane in the Caribbean. They can even calculate the odds.' But apparently that's not what Edward Lorenz, who came up with the idea of the butterfly effect, meant at all.

'It is probability, not certain cause and effect,' writes science journalist Peter Dzikes, 'that now dictates how scientists understand many systems, from subatomic particles to storms.' (H-t: A&L)

No comments:

Post a Comment