Complexity & Chaos 173
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Complexity & Chaos 173
Lorenz went on to study the effect and created a new branch of
mathematics. His quote about the beat of a butterfly wing creating
tornados has entered the public psyche and is central to the plot of
numerous Hollywood movies. One of his functions —- known as the Lorenz
Attractor — nicely illustrates the nature of chaos. A very simple equation
plots the beautiful, apparently three-dimensional, non-repeating shape.
Chaosville
Chaos, taken to its logical conclusion could explain our Universe. Stephen
Wolfram in A New Kind of Science, makes the argument that simple rules
could explain the extraordinary complexity we see in our Universe. He
applies rules to elements in a two-dimensional grid programmed on
the computer which form ‘cellular automaton’ that function a little like
simple animals, generating all manner of complex shapes and behaviors.
The inspiration for this approach is almost certainly Conway’s Game of
Life developed by John Conway in the 1960’s. In his computer game,
animals and machines seem to appear on the screen but in truth they
derive from the most simple set of rules. You can check out the website
to see a live version of Conway’s Game of Life. It’s a lot of fun. Wolfram’s
Strange Attractor
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015863
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