Chaotic and Noisy

Abstract

Chaos signals confusion and disorder in ordinary language, but not in science, where it denotes the curious inclination of nature towards exaggerating the consequences of minor changes. This behaviour is surprising as we expect the effects to be proportionate to their causes. In this chapter we shall clarify the concept of chaos and identify it in natural phenomena. As Boltzmann observed, we shall see how determinism of the fundamental laws of physics does not always translate into intuition when endeavouring to understand nature. We shall also consider the similarities and differences between chaos, randomness and “noise”, which helps to classify certain natural phenomena.