MIT prof Edward Lorenz, father of Chaos Theory, dies at 90

[giddyboy]

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This may seem uninteresting news to some people...but anyway i will just post this...happy reading.

MIT prof Edward Lorenz, father of chaos theory, dies at 90



By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Wed Apr 16, 6:26 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Edward Lorenz, the father of chaos theory, died at his home in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday. He was 90.

He was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he came up with the scientific concept that small effects lead to big changes, something that was explained in a simple example known as the "butterfly effect." He explained how something as minuscule as a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil changes the constantly moving atmosphere in ways that could later trigger tornadoes in Texas.

His discovery of "deterministic chaos" brought about "one of the most dramatic changes in mankind's view of nature since Sir Isaac Newton," said the committee that awarded Lorenz the 1991 Kyoto Prize for basic sciences. It was one of many scientific awards that Lorenz won. There is no Nobel Prize for his specific field of expertise, meteorology.

Jerry Mahlman, a longtime friend, noted that the man who pioneered chaos theory was "the most organized person I ever knew."

full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080416/...echHoWGcpxieAA

[etienne]

may he rest in peace.

i was fascinated about "chaos theory" in relation to psychology and physics. too bad my teachers in college didnt give emphasize to it.

[giddyboy]

may he rest in peace.

i was fascinated about "chaos theory" in relation to psychology and physics. too bad my teachers in college didnt give emphasize to it.

the first time i heard about chaos theory was when i watched "Chaos" the movie...

kuyawa ani noh? even the flap kno sa butterfly will have an exponential effect on the weather & climate. that is why kno it is hard to predict the weather given all the hi-tech gadgets that we have. tawag kno ani is THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. (btw, i also have seen this movie...hehe)

[eax]

The first time I read about chaos theory it was on the jurassic park (Novel and Movie).

[johnny22aa]

i think i saw him on TV once. mao ni cya ka2ng nka wheelchair lng ug naay speaking machine to assist him talking noh. naa pud daw ni syay award or position just like what Sir Isaac newton held.

[ofw_cebu]

i think i saw him on TV once. mao ni cya ka2ng nka wheelchair lng ug naay speaking machine to assist him talking noh. naa pud daw ni syay award or position just like what Sir Isaac newton held.

do you mean stephen hawking? lain pod tu siya . . but when I saw the chaos movie, it was cool.....

[herzabarJR]

[quote=giddyboy ]
the first time i heard about chaos theory was when i watched "Chaos" the movie...

kuyawa ani noh? even the flap kno sa butterfly will have an exponential effect on the weather & climate. that is why kno it is hard to predict the weather given all the hi-tech gadgets that we have. tawag kno ani is THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. (btw, i also have seen this movie...hehe)
But its a just a theory. If butterflies cause tornadoes then my fart can cause hurricanes. Don't yah worry, with my great mind and great body, I will prove later on whether he is right or full of hot air. And it's Friday, FLYday. .hehehe
RIP

[abuot]

may he rest in peace..he did a great contribution to mankind's knowledge..

the choas theory inspired so many authors like michael crichton

[giddyboy]

But its a just a theory. If butterflies cause tornadoes then my fart can cause hurricanes. Don't yah worry, with my great mind and great body, I will prove later on whether he is right or full of hot air. And it's Friday, FLYday. .hehehe
RIP

yeah it is just a theory that hasn't been proven concretely. But it is a scientific theory, not a hoax. Scientific theory is based on a number of calculated observations. The BUTTERFLY EFFECT is just one example of chaos theory, how something as minuscule as a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil changes the constantly moving atmosphere in ways that could later trigger tornadoes in Texas.

You may laugh at this but the fact that he's a genius and his discovery brought about "one of the most dramatic changes in mankind's view of nature since Sir Isaac Newton, he may have the last laugh on you (well, in the afterlife). His chaos theory has even been applied to different fields like in economics and politics.

besides, in the field of discovery science, we start with "observation" first, then scientific theory, later is the application. it is in the same breadth that Newton discovered gravity...do you think that Isaac's theory of gravitation is just hot air? do you think that the microwave theory didn't provide you your latest cellphone? think about it...

and by the way, a fart can add to the cause of Global Warming aka Greenhouse Effect which is a scientific theory also...greenhouse gases also applies to Chaos theory...

[Tin_Tin]

by the way, a fart can add to the cause Global Warming.

bitaw bay....