Edward Lorenz, the father of chaos theory, has died at age 90. Lorenz was a meteorologist who figured out in the 1960s that small differences in dynamic systems, such as the atmosphere, could set off enormous changes. In 1972 he presented a study entitled “Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas?”
That provocative title, and his research work, set of a revolution in scientific thinking. The chaos theory has been placed on the same level as the theory of relativity and quantum physics, in terms of influencing scientific thought. The theory has changed how we look at predictability and how we model change, both key elements to getting a handle on climate change.
There’s a good overview of his contributions on the Boston Globe website. The Washington Post has an even better feature that they’ve dug up from their archives that details “Making Sense of Nature’s Mess.”
