CHAOS THEORY

Science

Through Philosophy

Scientific Definition

• The name "chaos theory" comes from the fact that the systems that the theory describes are apparently disordered, but chaos theory is really about finding the underlying order in apparently random data.

“Ironic Randomness” The more strategic on the inside, the

more random it looks on the outside. Beauty on the inside; ugly on the

outside. Chaos all over the place, but

following the dots is still possible.

Scientific Definition #2: Butterfly EffectScientific Faith

• “The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done. So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does.” -Ian Stewart

Strategic Randomness

• Comic book character, Deadpool, known for his insanity and ability to be “aware” he’s in a comic book, is also adept at martial arts, being unpredictable due to being crazy as well as chaotic and improvised. Random fighting style, but ironic because he knows what he’s doing despite the chaos.

Seinfeld

• Show about nothing: random factors intersecting and influencing the outcome of each episode.

• Really a show about everything: random factors allowing for variety of subjects.

Frogger Theory• In the episode the Frogger, George

Costanza wants an old arcade machine with his high score from a closing pizzeria. Eccentric friend Kramer has police tape he somehow obtained. He runs out of police tape throughout the episode, using it on random things like sanctioning off a perimeter where he dropped an egg. Eventually, George needs a battery so he can move it across the street to plug it in. George’s team to help him instead wear out the battery and George has to ironically move the machine through traffic to get to the other side.

Batman Theory

• From a criminal’s point of view, they would never have expected a man to devote all the time, costume, utility belt, a car and a theme of crime fighting to the lifestyle of catching them. All random to them, but ironic in that they know it’s all designed with them in mind.

Batman 1989• In the film, the Joker puts

toxins in various makeup and hygiene products, with the poison effective if only the right products are used together. News anchors are the first to experience the toxic makeup. Joker even makes a commercial ‘warning’ about the products. Batman figures out the random combinations by implying that he’s “going shopping.” The irony is in the effect the drugs have on the victims: a lethal smile.

The Dark Knight• In the 2008 film, The Dark Knight,

the antagonist Joker claims he just does things, implying randomness in his actions, but every scene he steals the limelight by using irony. First he steals a bank and has his henchman kill each other to cover his tracks; that was randomly strategic. Second, he crashes a mob meeting and comes out alive by attaching grenades to the inside of his mob-purchased coat, making the mobsters behave themselves as Joker gave them multiple reasons to kill him.

Jurassic Park• In the film Jurassic Park,

character Ian Malcolm, who calls himself a “chaotician” instead of a mathematician, preaches against the engineering of dinosaurs for an amusement park and predicts its downfall. A tropical storm and a computer programmer’s theft of dinosaur embryos contribute to Malcolm’s chaos theory about Jurassic Park’s inevitable failure.

Pros and Cons

• Military tactics: confuse the enemy with fake craziness.

• Bad guys are more intimidated by good guys who are more rebellious than they are. More rebellious by being unorthodox in crime fighting philosophy.

• Beware that the bad guys are interested as well. Responsibility of the good guys to be better strategized.