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What is chaos theory: The flapping of a butterfly's wings changes everything

2023-07-31 10:59:33Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
What is chaos theory: The flapping of a butterfly's wings changes
What is chaos theory: The flapping of a butterfly's wings changes everything

Chaos theory is a law announced by James Yorke that reminds us of an essential fact: the world does not follow a precise and predictable pattern; whether we like it or not, there is chaos in our lives, this small space left to chance, where it is almost impossible to predict the effect of certain events.

It is quite common to associate chaos theory with its parent branches: mathematics and physics. However, we often forget that these sciences have a direct implication in our daily lives, in fact there are very few sectors that have the same impact on our behavior and knowledge.

James Yorke himself summarizes the importance of his theory in a simple sentence: one must be prepared to change plans at any moment.

Each of us has a certain degree of tolerance for uncertainty. Starting from a certain threshold, our brain goes into "alert mode" to what might happen.

We prefer stability, knowing that two plus two is four and that what surrounds us and we have today will be there in our tomorrow. All this provides us with an emotional balance thanks to which we are able to enjoy life, keeping everything under control.

However, chaos theory advocates a test. Life and its flow do not correspond to the rhythmic and perfect progress of an hour. The unpredictable and the uncontrollable are always within and around us.

It is that sword of Damocles that can strike us at any moment. It is that butterfly that today flies over the United States and later arrives in Europe in the form of an economic crisis. It's that white ball that we hit in billiards that hits the other balls making them move, sometimes in unexpected directions…

Chaos Theory: Nature is unpredictable

Chaos theory tells us that the outcome of an event depends on several variables: those whose behavior is not always predictable with total precision. There is always a margin for error, a space for chaos, a ripple that changes everything at the last moment. Because, sometimes, a small change generates an effect of large proportions.

There are those who argue that chaos theory is one of the most wonderful areas of modern mathematics. That science tries to predict the behavior of inherently unpredictable systems.

We can imagine the reactions to this theory since, until recently, the goal of the scientific world was to eliminate the variable of uncertainty in order to be able to accurately describe the behavior of almost anything.

However, nowadays we accept this difference in which chance and unpredictability, at a given moment, can change everything. This, in fact, was discovered by meteorologist and mathematician Edward Lorenz in 1961, when he tried to create a computer system to predict the weather. Suddenly he realized that, due to an approximation error in the numbers, the entire system had begun to exhibit clearly unpredictable behavior. Later this experience was used to formulate the famous butterfly effect.

Chaos is constantly among us

Chaotic phenomena abound not only in nature, but also in biology. There is no zone free from this unpredictable behavior. Chaotic phenomena occur every day almost without realizing it: in economics, thermodynamics, astronomy and even psychology.

We now know that any small disturbance in our brain (such as a change in a neurotransmitter) can result in very dramatic changes in behavior. Chaos theory is also accepted in psychiatry. Sometimes when a patient is given a drug, there is a small chance that the observed effect will be the opposite of the expected one.

"The flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world." – Chinese Proverb –

How to apply chaos theory in everyday life?

In our daily life we ​​all need to avoid chaos. Only in this way do we feel safe, only in this way can we build a life where predictability will allow us to leave home without fear and be able to look to the future with confidence. As James Yorke, the father of this theory, explains to us, the best thing to do is to be ready to change plans at any moment.

This principle is closely related to another current theory. We are talking about the black swan theory, formulated by the essayist, economist and mathematician Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

In his interesting book, which bears the same name as the theory, he reminds us that most of us succumb to a worldview where everything, at first glance, seems predictable. However, at a certain moment, the unexpected, the unpredictable, the chaotic... that wind that we did not expect arises. An unpredictable event that we are forced to accept and rationalize.

However, it must be said that instead of acting only when this chaos unfolds before our eyes, we must be prepared. James Yorke reminds us that the people who achieve success and happiness are those who always have a plan "B" in hand.

Let's try to develop a flexible mindset and an approach where we don't just react to events. Let's embrace them with curiosity and acceptance, because many times it is in chaos that opportunities arise. In the end, being prepared for the unexpected means going through the same ups and downs of life.


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