Visualizing the invisible: Performing chaos theory

Weitkamp, Emma

Abstract

Edward Lorenz, a pioneering figure in the field of chaos theory, coined the phrase “butterfly effect” and posed the well-known question “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” In posing the question, Lorenz sought to highlight the intrinsic difficulty of predicting the long-term behavior of complex systems that are sensitive to initial conditions, for example, the weather and climate; these systems are often referred to as chaotic. Taking Lorenz’s butterfly as a starting point, the author’s science theater project Chaos Cabaret seeks to explore the nuances of chaos theory through performance and music.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 16, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Feb 13, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 2, 2021
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 30, 2019
• Journal: Leonardo
• Print ISSN: 0024-094X
• Electronic ISSN: 1530-9282
• Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press (MIT Press)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 289-293
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_01887
• Keywords: science theatre, chaos theory, science communication
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/846898
• Publisher URL: https://www.leonardo.info/
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the authors accepted manuscript. It has been accepted for publication in Leonardo.
• Contract Date: May 22, 2019