Butterfly effect: Difference between revisions

The '''butterfly effect''' was a theory that a [[butterfly]] could flap its [[wing]]s in one place and greatly affect events in another place. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Transit (novel)|Transit]]'') This was a concern in [[time travel]] in that travelling to the past and making any little change, even something like crushing a butterfly, could drastically change the future. The [[Twelfth Doctor]] cited the "ripple effect," stating that if he'd change the past he could create a future where [[cat]]s ruled the [[universe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Before the Flood (TV story)|Before the Flood]]'')

The [[Fourth Doctor]] accidentally stepped on a butterfly once but didn't notice it. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Prelude Falls the Shadow (short story)|Prelude Falls the Shadow]]'')

The [[Seventh Doctor]] often cited this effect, ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Dark Flame (audio story)|The Dark Flame]]'') describing butterflies as a "million multi-coloured pieces of time" and being called himself "the butterfly." ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Fearmonger (audio story)|The Fearmonger]]'') According to one account, he described the butterfly effect to [[Ingiger]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Curse of Fenric (novelisation)|The Curse of Fenric]]'') He later realised that, like that theoretical butterfly, his interference in [[Earth]]'s history had resulted in [[Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart]] learning who he was and discovering time travel. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Transit (novel)|Transit]]'') While in the year [[1993]], [[Romulus Terrin]], who was from the year [[2381]], assured [[James Rafferty]] that he was not going to go treading on any butterflies. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Dimension Riders (novel)|The Dimension Riders]]'') [[Ace]] told [[Sesehset]] about the butterfly effect while in [[Egypt]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Set Piece (novel)|Set Piece]]'') After a game of [[chess]] with [[Oskar Steinmann]], the Doctor described the butterfly effect to him. Steinmann thought the solution would be to kill all the butterflies, or make them flap their wings only when ordered. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Just War (novel)|Just War]]'')

The [[Eighth Doctor]] confused the theory a few times, mentioning how a [[bat]] flaps its wings and causes a tropical storm ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Invaders from Mars (audio story)|Invaders from Mars]]'') and how the beat of a butterfly's wings in [[Mettula Orionsis]] caused a [[time storm]] in the [[Mutter's Spiral]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Storm Warning (audio story)|Storm Warning]]'')

A literal example of the butterfly effect was regularly caused by the [[Council of Eight]] when they tried to fill the void left by the [[Time Lord]]a after they were wiped out. The Council regularly dispatched their Time Agents through [[time corridor]]s to set moments in order to ensure predicted outcomes in history came to pass. In one case, a Time Agent released a butterfly in the atmosphere in a location in [[Africa]], which resulted in changes to the atmosphere which led to the sinking of the [[Spanish Armada]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Sometime Never... (novel)|Sometime Never...]]'')

[[Martha Jones]] recognised this theory from its appearances in Earth [[film]]s, and was concerned about whether or not it was safe to "move around and stuff" in her past, recalling that "You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the [[human]] race." The [[Tenth Doctor]] advised her "[not to] step on any butterflies", and asked her, "What have butterflies ever done to you?" ([[TV]]: ''[[The Shakespeare Code (TV story)|The Shakespeare Code]]'')

When [[Bill Potts]] asked about the butterfly effect, the [[Twelfth Doctor]] teased her by inventing a friend of hers, "[[Pete (Thin Ice)|Pete]]", who had stepped on a butterfly and accidentally [[temporal erasure|erased himself from existence]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Thin Ice (TV story)|Thin Ice]]'')

A [[chaotic limiter]] could be used to reduce or increase the butterfly effect. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Book of the War (novel)|The Book of the War]]'')