In 1961, MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz was inputting numbers into a weather prediction program. His model was based on a dozen variables, the value of one being .506127. When he ran the model again, ...

For the first time, researchers in China have accurately quantified how chaos increases in a quantum many-body system as it evolves over time. Combining experiments and theory, a team led by Yu-Chen ...

In 1972, the US meteorologist Edward Lorenz asked a now-famous question: "Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?" The image of the tiny flapping butterfly has come ...

Small changes can have incredibly large and unintended consequences, whether for good or for ill. And no matter how smart you (think you) are, there’s absolutely no way that you can predict all of the ...

Like the burnt toast theory, the butterfly effect isn't just some buzzword trending on TikTok. At its core, the theory is a powerful reminder that you can have more influence over your life than you ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. The butterfly effect, a concept rooted in chaos theory and ...