The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect originally referred to the effect of a seemingly small event on the regional or global climate i.e. can a butterfly's wings beating cause weather changes in a distant place? It is sometimes referred to as the Chaos Theory and is said to be the reason weather prediction is sometimes so difficult (everyone, not just the weatherman, should have such a good excuse!) The term has come to represent any significant impact or effect that results within a system from an event that appears to be unrelated or of little significance.