Chaos theory scientist Edward Lorenz dies

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 18 (UPI) -- Edward N. Lorenz, a meteorologist who developed chaos theory, has died of cancer at age 90 in his home in Cambridge, Mass.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Lorenz was the first to recognize what is now called chaotic behavior in the mathematical modeling of weather systems, when he realized that small differences in a dynamic system could trigger vast and often unsuspected results.

The university said the insights marked the beginning of a new field of study that influenced not just the field of mathematics but virtually every branch of science.

"By showing that certain deterministic systems have formal predictability limits, Ed put the last nail in the coffin of the Cartesian universe and fomented what some have called the third scientific revolution of the 20th century, following on the heels of relativity and quantum physics," Kerry Emanuel, professor of atmospheric science at MIT, said in a statement. "He was also a perfect gentleman, and through his intelligence, integrity and humility set a very high standard for his and succeeding generations."