butterfly effect

noun
🔊/ˈbʌtəflaɪ ɪfekt/
🔊/ˈbʌtərflaɪ ɪfekt/
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  1. the idea that a very small change in one part of a system can have large effects in other parts蝴蝶效应(指系统中一个部分的微小变化可能导致其他部分的巨大变化)Topics Change, cause and effectc2
    Word Origin1980s: from the notion in chaos theory that a butterfly fluttering in Rio de Janeiro could change the weather in Chicago.