The Butterfly Effect

ONE OF my favourite films is the 2004 supernatural thriller ‘The Butterfly Effect’starring Ashton Kutcher in the leading role. In the movie, Kutcher’s character, Evan Treborn, has supernatural powers that allow him to go back in time and do things differently in order to help save his friends from tragic accidents or evil deeds.

- Angus Long

The problem is, every time he goes back and changes something to prevent a particular tragedy, nature later delivers up an even nastier set of events to afflict his friends and family and the price they pay increases each time. There is no happy ending.

The ‘butterfly effect’ is the name given to the concept that "small causes can have larger effects". Of course, the movie was a daft piece of science fiction, but there are, perhaps, a number of things in society today that may well have a created a butterfly effect of their own?

How often, particularly when looking to justify an unpopular policy, course of action or expenditure, do those in power say“...The first duty of any government is to protect the public...” often followed by “...If it saves just one life, it’s a price worth paying...”

Well, they are right about one thing; there is always a price to pay for everything but it’s important too, that we ensure the price we pay is balanced against the benefits we receive and the unintended consequences or butterfly effects that may arise from the actions undertaken.

For example, in the past decade there have been 30,000 fatalities on UK roads. Despite, statistically, being one of the most dangerous things to do, most of us are happy to drive our cars or be a passenger in someone else’s. So, are road deaths a ‘price’ we are seemingly prepared pay for the freedom to drive vehicles on the roads?