The Butterfly Effect

Sensitive dependence on initial conditions — Lorenz's discovery that a tiny change can utterly reshape the future, and the question that named it: does a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?

Part of Chaos Theory

22 moments in this segment.

1. 2011-07-25 — Chaos and Butterfly Effect - Sixty Symbols. Sixty Symbols
2. 2016-05-13 — Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow: Chaos Theory. BK Teach
3. 2016-12-28 — The Butterfly Effect | This Video Will Change Your Life | Documentary. Top5s
4. 2017-07-29 — Can BUTTERFLIES Cause TORNADOES? The Butterfly Effect Explained. Ancient Mysteries
5. 2018-03-26 — MIT on Chaos and Climate: Edward N. Lorenz and the End of the Cartesian Universe. Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT
6. 2018-10-18 — BUTTERFLY EFFECT: How THIS Butterfly Caused a Tornado!. Arvin Ash
7. 2019-07-11 — How a Butterfly’s Wingbeat CAN Change the Weather. SciShow
8. 2019-12-06 — Chaos: The Science of the Butterfly Effect. Veritasium
9. 2020-01-03 — The Real Butterfly Effect. Sabine Hossenfelder
10. 2020-01-29 — This equation will change how you see the world (the logistic map). The logistic map connects fluid convection, neuron firing, the Mandelbrot set and so much more. Fasthosts Techie Test competition is now closed! Learn more about Fasthosts here: Code for interactives is available below...
11. 2020-08-26 — Does the flap of butterfly's wings cause tornado ? (weather prediction and butterfly effect). The Flocking Mind
12. 2021-10-21 — The Problem With The Butterfly Effect. minutephysics
13. 2021-11-18 — The Beauty of the Butterfly Effect. Science Marshall
14. 2022-12-30 — Chaotic Dynamical Systems. Steve Brunton
15. 2023-09-28 — The Butterfly Effect: How a Flutter in Brazil Causes Tornadoes in Texas!. Think tiny actions don't matter? Think again! Learn how the flap of a butterfly's wings can set off a chain of events leading to massive storms halfway across the world. Uncover the chaos theory in 3 minutes!
16. 2023-10-04 — Chaos Theory and The Butterfly Effect - Predicting The Unpredictable. University of Bristol
17. 2024-06-19 — Sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Active Math
18. 2024-07-02 — A simple guide to chaos theory - BBC World Service. BBC World Service
19. 2024-08-16 — What Is The ButterFly Effect? | How can Small Changes Lead to Bigger Changes? | The Chaos Theory. Peekaboo Kidz
20. 2024-09-26 — Unlocking Chaos Theory in Weather Prediction-Beginner Guide. ThinkInnovation
21. 2025-05-23 — Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow by Edward Lorenz (1963). Daniel Wieser
22. 2026-03-23 — The Butterfly Effect: Why Weather Forecasts Are Fundamentally Unpredictable. The Silent Ledger