Weather! deterministic or chaotic system?

[Thirdway]

No. Unpredictability, but not totally so. The short term behaviour of a chaotic system can be predicted, before small errors in initial conditions get amplified too much. Aspects of the long term behaviour can also be predicted; the exact state is unpredictable, but limits can be drawn. On Christmas day in London it might be -10 degrees C, might be zero, might be +10 degrees. But it certainly won't be minus a hundred or plus a hundred, barring a huge external factor like an alien invasion or a nuke going off.

You have just described a predictable weather system within limits, where does chaos theory fit into that? . It says that anything can and will happen, so the inputs into the system are ultimately unquantifiable, but this isn't true because we say that it is between limits. So there is an element of chaos and certainty in all super dynamic systems. One doesn't prove the other. We cant anticipate the unanticipated of course, but the world doesn't work like, at least my world doesn't work that. At the moment I have woken up each day and the Earth has always been right there for the last 50 odd years. I think I should have expected that one day I would find something different, but no, it's been incredibly consistent. One day we will get hit by an asteroid. I have no idea when, but the event is predictable in the light of what we know.

[sologuitarist61]

:-) scepticism is a great guide.

I get the feeling I have just been patronised, but that's OK, I give it out and am happy to take it as well.

[Thirdway]

I get the feeling I have just been patronised, but that's OK, I give it out and am happy to take it as well.

:-) it was genuine. It means the door is open for further discussion on your terms. Either that happens or it doesn't I'm easy whichever.

[sologuitarist61]

I have the feeling that we share diametrically opposed views on this subject and would hate for this thread to be taken over with our discussions (probably bore everyone to death anyway). However I have the feeling that good discussions could be had given different circumstances. :smiley:

[Thirdway]

Your call either way. The most complex of all super dynamic system is the conscious mind, it's interesting to pay attention to those storm systems.