TEDXBERKELEY 2024: BUTTERFLY EFFECT

January 20, 2024 — Zellerbach Hall

A butterfly flaps its wings. The air ripples, and time flows. Months later, a typhoon starts brewing above the ocean.

In its popular understanding, the butterfly effect broadly speaks to the ways in which small changes can have drastically larger consequences downstream. Meteorologist Edward Lorenz identified this phenomenon as he struggled with complex weather modeling, small initial adjustments often leading to dramatically different results later on. His key insight, however, was that you could never predict which of these small adjustments would end up being significant. Ultimately, he named this uncertainty the butterfly.

Rarely, though, are we ever isolating a single moment or choice. As innovation and creativity continue overflowing, our global trajectory is constantly shifting. Different lives overlap in an overwhelmingly complex network, and the degree of unpredictability surrounding our future and our present is higher than ever. At the same time, the potential for positive change and connection is also at its peak.

At TEDxBerkeley 2024: Butterfly Effect, we invite you to flutter between ideas, as we consider how seemingly distant actions, motivations, and stories often intersect to create powerful impact. Join us on January 20th, 2024 at Zellerbach Hall to reflect on the smaller details and moments–on the butterflies–that have shaped both your story and the world around us.