A butterfly hovering near a flower The butterfly effect is the concept that small changes can lead to largely altered outcomes, making the future vastly difficult to predict. (more) butterfly effect chaos theory Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/butterfly-effect Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/butterfly-effect Written by Allison Rauch Allison Rauch is a media team intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica for fall 2023. Allison Rauch Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 25, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question butterfly effect, idea in chaos theory that describes how small changes to a complex system’s initial conditions can produce dramatically different outcomes. The butterfly effect was most prominently researched by meteorologist Edward Lorenz in the early 1960s; however, ideas relating to the theory predate Lorenz’s identification of the effect within a scientific context. The term butterfly effect has also gained prominence in popular culture and is used (often incorrectly) to discuss how seemingly small actions or decisions can have large effects. Lorenz first identified what would be called the butterfly effect while working as a meteorology professor at the Massachusetts ...(100 of 703 words)

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