Chaos and the real world?

[MaxCathedral]

Skipping the mathematics....explain Chaos and it relation to the real world.

[YT2095]

as far as I know one of the 1`st laws of Thermodynamics states that the Universe is organised to Chaos (sounds a contradiction to me) and that`s why if you get a neat stack of papers and throw them up into the air, they land all over the place (like playing 52 pickup).

personaly, I`m open minded as to wether or not TRUE Chaos really exists, or is it our inability to calculate ALL the variables in a "chaotic system".

maybe the stack of papers in the air is a bad example, but it`s the one used often. MAYBE with a powerfull enough computer with all the correct sensors to monitor EVERYTHING that could effect the outcome, the position of each peice could be predicted as it landed? My jury`s still out on that one

[Skye]

YT2095 is referring to two kinds of chaos: chaos as entropy, and chaotic systems. I'll just go into chaotic systems.

 

A chaotic system is one where any uncertainties (any unknowns) in the initial conditions are amplified within the system as time goes by. The best example is 'the butterfly effect' in weather. This doesn't mean that butterflies have a huge effect on weather, but rather than even if you knew every condition of a weather system, ignoring something tiny a butterfly flapping around would over time mean that any predictions based on the intitial conditions would become increasingly erroneous with time.

[IMI]

Much like building on a shaky foundation. As you build up and up the foundation becomes less and less able to support the building. The foundation will eventually give way and bring the whole house down!