The theme of order and chaos is prevalent not only in literature, but also in areas like art, math, and science. In all of these disciplines, it is common to see the idea that both order and chaos are necessary to have a functioning society. In art, for example, some viewers may look at Jackson Pollock’s paintings and see a bunch of paint splattered on a canvas. Others have studied his paintings, imaged them, and discovered that they are fractals indicating a level of order.
In mathematics and science, chaos theory is basically the butterfly effect. A very simplified explanation of this complex idea is that one small item can have an unknown, or chaotic, ripple effect. It appears in the migratory patterns of birds, the earth’s weather, and many other places in nature. One tiny, minute change can affect the entire system, making its normally orderly occurrence chaotic and unpredictable. People spend their entire careers studying and writing about chaos theory. Those who are dedicated to studying this theory tend to be very serious and formal in reporting their findings. For a slightly unusual perspective on chaos and order, go online and read the article “Chaos Theory: A Unified Theory of Muppet Types” by Dahlia Lithwick on Slate.com. Be prepared to consider if Lithwick is a “ Answer the following questions and summarize them in a paragraph in preparation for your required chat with your teacher. 1.The author provides a different interpretation of chaos theory. Based on the reading, how would you define her viewpoint and definition of chaos theory? 2.What is the author’s point of view of the chaos theory? Overall, is she using satire, sarcasm, or irony? Is she directly stating what she means or are you having to infer meaning?
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