The chapter explores the concept that our control over our lives is limited, but our influence is significant, as our actions can create meaningful ripple effects on others. It reflects on how small actions or events, such as planting a tree or giving a card, can have unpredictably significant consequences in the future. Delving into chaos theory, it discusses how the interconnectedness of events highlights the impact of seemingly insignificant decisions on shaping our lives and the world.
Brian Klaas is a political scientist, a professor at University College London and an author.
Small, seemingly insignificant events can have profound effects on the world. But how much of our fate is truly determined by chance, and if chaos plays such a huge role, how much control do we actually have over anything?
Expect to learn the chance story of the atomic bomb's targeting, the difference between contingency and convergence, why our brains are so good at distorting reality, the link between Donald Trump's election and the dinosaurs, how a cigar changed the course of the American Revolution, why floorboards in New England are 23 inches wide and much more...