A phenomenon we have all heard of, but what is it really and where did it come from?
Written by Quinzel Salcedo
I remember an unusual morning. Waking up at 5 am, I accompanied a classmate to reconnoitre locations for our upcoming production. On the way to the F1 Pit Building, a location at the top of our list, I found a dollar on the ground.
“Are you gonna pick it up?” My classmate asked a little too late as I bent down and pocketed it immediately.
The rest of my day went well, but for my classmate? Not so much. I recall her nervously pacing back and forth at her desk, running in and out of the office throughout the day. Just watching her was tiring and she ended up clocking out overtime.
“Maybe next time you should pick up the dollar from the ground,” I joked. Looking back, what if she did pick it up instead of me? Would I have ended up in her shoes? Would she have had a better day?
This could be a prime example of the phenomenon called the butterfly effect.
From pop culture, we know the butterfly effect as what occurs when small actions and decisions cause unexpectedly bigger and more complicated outcomes. By scientific definition, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions.
This means that a flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil could set off a tornado in Texas, but it can prevent it from occurring just as much. Since our universe is made up of so many systems, it is difficult to tell which variable starts the butterfly effect, or what the resulting effect will be. However, it will be an interesting phenomenon to ponder on and take inspiration from for years to come.
Take, for example, how the butterfly effect is portrayed in movies, dramas and even video games. ‘The Butterfly Effect’ movie series from the early 2000s, the Korean drama ‘Blue Birthday’, the Japanese anime ‘Tokyo Revengers’ and horror video game ‘Until Dawn’ are some popular titles involving the butterfly effect.
Ultimately, the butterfly effect also teaches us that with everything in this universe connected, all actions have consequences. We have to be mindful of what we do and acknowledge that we can cause more impact than we realise. The future is always uncertain but it never hurts to take chances.
So the next time you find a dollar on the ground, I suggest you pick it up.