RE: Chaos theory
July 14, 2014 at 12:02 pm
(This post was last modified: July 14, 2014 at 12:41 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(July 13, 2014 at 5:03 pm)MagetheEntertainer Wrote: How many of you believe in the probability of Chaos theory? In case you didn't know, Chaos Theory is basically the theory that very small events can have drastic changes on much larger events that will take place in the far future. So for example if a particular butterfly in brazil flaps its wings right now, it may cause a hurricane 3 years from now that is suppose to go to Georgia get sent off course to New York. Or if you skip taking a shower today then the patriots will lose the superbowl 5 years from now. So go ahead, whats your thoughts?
What is "probability of Chaos Theory"?
(July 13, 2014 at 8:12 pm)bennyboy Wrote:(July 13, 2014 at 6:25 pm)FreeTony Wrote: Chaotic systems are still totally deterministicSays who?
I think for this assertion to be true, you'd have to be able to determine whether events at the QM level can properly be variable given a single time.
No true. There is no absolute chaos, and no absolute determinism in macroscopic universe. One could quantify the degree of precision required of initial measurement in order to have a specific level of confidence (degree of determinedness or chaos) in outcome at a specified time in the future.
For most practical problems, determinism for the purposes of forecast requires macroscopic degrees of accuracy in initial measurement, far from the the level that requires QM.
Take for example the orbit of planets in solar system. The problem is ultimately chaotic. It is not possible, in principle, to predict the location of each planet to such a precision as to know whether the planet would on a specific day be on the same side or the opposite side of the sun from the earth two billion years into the future, because our current measurement of the location of each planet today has enough uncertainties such that if the planet is located on one side of the error bar of our positional mesurement today, it would end up on the opposite side of the sun a billion years from now compared to if the planet today is indeed located on the other side of the error bar of our positional measurement.
How big is the error bar? Several kilometers. Not several nanometers.
If we can refine our measurement by several kilometers, and the orbital position of the planet would go from chaotic over two billion years to being deterministic over two billion years.
