Concept in Definition ABC

The term effect has a multitude of meanings depending on the field in which it is used, although the The most frequently used is that which defines it as the result that is obtained as a result of a cause.

In the world of sport, the effect is a movement rotary that is printed on an object when it is thrown or hit, so that it ends up deviating from what would become its expected trajectory. Among those sports practices where the use of the effects is generalized, we would find tennis, golf, table tennis, soccer or billiards.

On the other hand, the word effect is also used to denote an impression produced in the feelings or the mood of a person.

The butterfly Effect

When a small change can generate consequences of enormous significance, it is said that we are facing an effect butterfly. The reason it is known in this way is because of an idea popularized by the meteorologist and mathematician Edward Lorenz, who exemplified one of his theories through an ancient Chinese proverb that said that the flapping of a butterfly can be felt on the other side of the world.

In his studies, Lorenz suggested that the slightest variation in the initial conditions of a certain system can make it evolve in totally different ways. Lorenz observed how small details (for example, using three instead of six decimal places) ended up causing large differences in the predictions of a model.

The greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is known as the phenomenon by which certain gases of the earth's atmosphere retain part of the Energy caused by solar radiation. Among its main effects are the melting of the polar ice caps, thus causing a rise in sea level; the alteration of the rainy seasons, which has a direct impact on the farming; increased desertification; and changes in the seasons, affecting the traditions migratory of birds or the reproductive processes of living beings.

Contrary to what many people believe, the greenhouse effect is not directly caused by man, but is a natural phenomenon. The action of man what he causes is an increase in the concentration of certain gases such as carbon dioxide, which leads to the intensification of the greenhouse effect.

Photos: iStock - Waltraud Ingerl / lvcandy