Daily Dialogue — August 25, 2016

Dr. Ian Malcolm: [after the T-Rex failed to appear for the tour group] You see a Tyrannosaur doesn’t follow a set pattern or park schedules, the essence of chaos. 
Dr. Ellie Sattler: I’m still not clear on chaos.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: It simply deals with predictability in complex systems. The shorthand is the butterfly effect, the butterfly flaps its wings in Central Park, you get rain in central Asia.

Ellie motions — the idea is over her head. They both laugh.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: I’m going to fast. Give me that glass of water. We’re going to conduct an experiment.

She gives him a glass of water.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: Put your hand flat like this. Now, let’s say a drop of water falls in your hand. Which way is the drop of water going to fall off? 
Dr. Ellie Sattler: Thumb.

He drops water on her hand and it rolls toward her thumb.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: Okay, freeze your hand, don’t move. We’re going to do the same thing, start in the same place again. Which way is it going to roll off?
Dr. Ellie Sattler: Let’s say back, same.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Same…

He drops water on her hand. It rolls in a different direction.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: It changed. Why? Because tiny variations… the orientation of the tiny hairs on your hand, the blood cells and imperfections in the skin.
Dr. Ellie Sattler: Imperfections in the skin?

He is totally flirting with her.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: Never repeat and vastly effect the outcome. That’s — 
Dr. Ellie Sattler: Unpredictability.

Meanwhile Dr. Grant gets out of the car.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: There. Look at this. See? See? I’m right again. Nobody could’ve predicted that Dr. Grant would suddenly, suddenly jump out of a moving vehicle.
Dr. Ellie Sattler: Alan? Alan!

She jumps out of the vehicle.

Dr. Ian Malcolm: There’s, another example. [laughs to himself] See, here I’m now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That’s, that’s chaos theory.

— Jurassic Park (1994), screenplay by Michael Crichton and David Koepp, novel by Michael Crichton

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Mentor, suggested by Michael Waters.

Trivia: While discussing chaos theory, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) shamelessly flirts with Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). After meeting on this film, the two actors began a romantic relationship, and were engaged for two years before breaking up.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Malcolm is a wonderful Mentor figure in that he’s smart, funny, obnoxious… and right! Chaos to ensue in 3… 2… 1…