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   butterfly effect

   /ˈbʌtəflʌɪ ɪˌfɛkt/

   noun

   • 1. (in chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.

   Word Origin 1970s: first described in relation to meteorology, from the notion that a butterfly fluttering in Rio de Janeiro could change the weather in Chicago.

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