Sunday, October 19, 2008

Chaos Theory and Dasavatharam

Chaos Theory and Dasavatharam

1. In the Dasavatharam film Kamal talks about chaos theory and butterfly effect, in fact the whole story is based on these concepts. A brilliance of Kamal made it possible to incorporate the famous but yet very less understood Chaos theory in a Tamil film.
2. What is Chaos theory: Chaos theory says that exact prediction of a dynamic system is not possible over a long period of time and a small change in the initial condition can alter a chaotic system’s behavior in large magnitude.
3. For example If I try to pedal a cycle it will move and it will continue till I pedal it but in chaotic system like weather it is not the case we cant predict because it is a chaotic system.
4. Butterfly effect: In a chaotic system a small change in the system can alter the behavior of the system in a significantly different way. Of course that’s why prediction of chaotic system behavior is impossible. Butterfly effect was the name coined by the Edward Lorenz who discovered chaos theory, as per him a small change in the initial condition such as flapping of butterfly wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas ( US).
5. Ok, so what is the relation between the chaos theory or butterfly effect and Dasavatharam? – Dasavatharam talks about eight characters who are inconsequential as such, but are integrated in a larger picture. Without Bush, the plane would have been called back. Without Shinghen, Govind would be dead. Without the tsunami, the world would have been destroyed. Even Krishnaveni (the old woman) plays a very important role. If she had not put the vial in the idol, maybe Govind would have recovered it then and there and a powerful weapon would have been unleashed. The very fact that it went into the idol meant that it was being accelerated to its destiny. Without Kaifulllah Khan, Govind would have never escaped, without Balram the people in Kaifullah Khan’s village might have died in tsunami, the list simply goes on.
6. In the movie the Vaisnav Rangarajan was thrown to the Sea with the Idol in 12th century, this small impact of the Idol on tectonic plate could have cause tremor after 800 years resulting in Tsunami which eventually saved Tamilnadu from deadly synthesized virus.
7. I know many will question the above, but please find the word COULD in that sentence, it is just an assumption because dynamic system can get altered by small changes and surely we can’t predict or pinpoint the reasons.
8. So does the butterfly effect would explain things in everyday life,
Yes and No but it us who expect the world should be comprehensible - that everything happens for a reason, and that we can pinpoint all those reasons, however small they may be. But nature itself defies this expectation. It is probability, not certain cause and effect that now dictates how scientists understand many systems, from subatomic particles to storms.
People want to attach a specific cause to events, and can't accept the randomness of the world. Kamal speaks to many people who spoke about the cause of Tsunami, he tells that it is not a single reason and tells seeking reasons for all cause is not necessary.

Finally does it sound like every thing in this word is a mayay and nothing is certain, only uncertainty in this world is certain?

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