Chaos and Fractals: Predicting the Unpredictable (Part 1)

with Michael Thompson

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Mathematicians, working with physicists, biologists and engineers have created a new science for the complexities of nature. Chaos Theory shows that systems obeying precise deterministic laws can act in unpredictable ways. By pointing to hidden laws, it can uncover order where formerly only erratic behaviour had been observed. Chaos cuts across traditional scientific disciplines, unifying the turbulent flow of fluids, irregularities of the heartbeat and the swirls of desert dunes. Its new kind of mathematics explains: the butterfly effect that bedevils accurate weather forecasting, reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, gaps in the asteroid belt, growth of insect populations, oscillations of electronic circuits, capsize of ships, and the efficient maneuvering of space-craft. This talk will use pictures, demonstrations and videos to show chaos theory at work. Dramatic experiments show just how wild and unexpected the chaotic motions of a pendulum can be.

The lecture is presented in two parts.

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