Brian Klaas

if not for this one shrew-like creature 100 million years ago, it's a very humbling thing to look into these backgrounds because the fragility, not just of your individual existence through the maddening random chance that leads to you being born rather than somebody else from your parents, but also just humanity's existence is incredibly, incredibly fragile.

So Edward Lorenz is a fascinating character because he accidentally ended up in meteorology during World War II, you know, when Uncle Sam was sort of drafting everyone into the military effort. Lorenz was a really bright guy and he had an interest in the weather.

So Edward Lorenz is a fascinating character because he accidentally ended up in meteorology during World War II, you know, when Uncle Sam was sort of drafting everyone into the military effort. Lorenz was a really bright guy and he had an interest in the weather.

So Edward Lorenz is a fascinating character because he accidentally ended up in meteorology during World War II, you know, when Uncle Sam was sort of drafting everyone into the military effort. Lorenz was a really bright guy and he had an interest in the weather.

So he joined up and ended up, believe it or not, working on forecasting weather during American bombing rains in the late stages of World War II in Japan. Now, after the war ends, he's sort of aware that there's some really limited computing power involved in forecasting. And we really don't know how we can predict the future of weather. It's really arbitrary and really poor quality.

So he joined up and ended up, believe it or not, working on forecasting weather during American bombing rains in the late stages of World War II in Japan. Now, after the war ends, he's sort of aware that there's some really limited computing power involved in forecasting. And we really don't know how we can predict the future of weather. It's really arbitrary and really poor quality.

So he joined up and ended up, believe it or not, working on forecasting weather during American bombing rains in the late stages of World War II in Japan. Now, after the war ends, he's sort of aware that there's some really limited computing power involved in forecasting. And we really don't know how we can predict the future of weather. It's really arbitrary and really poor quality.

So he starts to invent a weather computer and tries his best to improve forecasting of how he might be able to predict the weather. So he has this really rudimentary computer that can only handle a few variables. I think it was about 12 variables of the weather. So maybe you've got temperature and wind speed and so on.

So he starts to invent a weather computer and tries his best to improve forecasting of how he might be able to predict the weather. So he has this really rudimentary computer that can only handle a few variables. I think it was about 12 variables of the weather. So maybe you've got temperature and wind speed and so on.

So he starts to invent a weather computer and tries his best to improve forecasting of how he might be able to predict the weather. So he has this really rudimentary computer that can only handle a few variables. I think it was about 12 variables of the weather. So maybe you've got temperature and wind speed and so on.

And he plugs them into this computer, this sort of early computer, and runs a simulation. And one day, he decides to rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. But he sort of groans and doesn't really want to start all the way at the beginning. It will take too long. So he figures, I'll just start halfway.

And he plugs them into this computer, this sort of early computer, and runs a simulation. And one day, he decides to rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. But he sort of groans and doesn't really want to start all the way at the beginning. It will take too long. So he figures, I'll just start halfway.

And he plugs them into this computer, this sort of early computer, and runs a simulation. And one day, he decides to rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. But he sort of groans and doesn't really want to start all the way at the beginning. It will take too long. So he figures, I'll just start halfway.

I'll look at the computer printout for the data for all of the variables in the model. I'll type them in exactly, and I'll rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. And what he sees, we can only imagine he's got this sort of befuddled look as he looks at the screen because the data is completely different.

I'll look at the computer printout for the data for all of the variables in the model. I'll type them in exactly, and I'll rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. And what he sees, we can only imagine he's got this sort of befuddled look as he looks at the screen because the data is completely different.

I'll look at the computer printout for the data for all of the variables in the model. I'll type them in exactly, and I'll rerun the simulation starting from halfway through. And what he sees, we can only imagine he's got this sort of befuddled look as he looks at the screen because the data is completely different.

The weather patterns have changed radically from simulation one to simulation two, even though they're using the same data. And what he finds after a lot of sort of chin scratching is that the numbers that were printed out ended after three decimal places. So imagine that you've got a number like 1.234. It would be printed as 1.234, but the actual number might be 1.23456789.

The weather patterns have changed radically from simulation one to simulation two, even though they're using the same data. And what he finds after a lot of sort of chin scratching is that the numbers that were printed out ended after three decimal places. So imagine that you've got a number like 1.234. It would be printed as 1.234, but the actual number might be 1.23456789.

The weather patterns have changed radically from simulation one to simulation two, even though they're using the same data. And what he finds after a lot of sort of chin scratching is that the numbers that were printed out ended after three decimal places. So imagine that you've got a number like 1.234. It would be printed as 1.234, but the actual number might be 1.23456789.

And so in losing those little tiny numbers after the third decimal place, what Lorenz realized was that that was where the weather was diverging. And this is the origin story of a realm of science called chaos theory, where you realize that these tiny changes over time can have profound consequences.