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Mathematicians Crack a Fractal Conjecture on Chaos (scientificamerican.com)
3 points by mikhael 17 hours ago | hide | past | favorite | 1 comment




"Take a chilly window sheeting over with ice: even one oddly shaped snowflake can exert an influence on the final frosty pattern."

I wish writers would do a better job of conveying chaos. Yes, the butterfly flapping it's wings in Brazil (or whatever) can drastically influence the weather a continent away. But I think the true wonder of chaos needs to consider that if that butterfly were turned a few degrees in another direction, the resultant weather can be completely different. It's these infinitesmally small changes in parameters resulting in widely different outcomes that really brings the idea of chaos to life I think.




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