The Butterfly Tempest Weather Bulletin


Who, exactly, coined that memorable image that claimed that a butterfly, flapping its wings in one part of the world, could affect the weather on the other side of the globe? Edward Lorenz is credited with using this image as the title of talk he gave in 1972 to the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. The idea has passed in and out of thousands of minds, but the actual geographic locations seem to vary wildly. In the interests of calming the public, we have attempted to record recent reports of butterfly-induced weather catastrophes. We remind you, though, that even if your locality is not listed here, that is no guarantee that you are safe!

(Naturally, I can't divulge the efforts of a certain secret agency to station a network of undercover butterflies across the globe, exquisitely tuned and interconnected, prepared at any moment to flutter their wings, causing unknown destruction in untold places...)


Last revised on 11 November 2019.