chaotic behaviour Behaviour in a complex system that appears irregular or unpredictable but is actually determinate. The apparently ran¬ dom or unpredictable behaviour in systems governed by complicated (nonlinear) deterministic laws is the result of high sensitivity to initial conditions. For example, Edward Lorenz discovered that a simple model of heat convection exhibits chaotic behaviour. In a now-classic example of such sensitivity to initial conditions, he suggested that the mere flap¬ ping of a butterfly’s wings could eventually result in large-scale changes in the weather (the “butterfly effect”).
Chapala \cha-'pa-la\, Lake Lake, Jalisco state, Mexico. Mexico’s larg¬ est lake, it is about 50 mi (80 km) long and 10 mi (15 km) wide and has an area of roughly 400 sq mi (1,000 sq km). A popular resort area, it is both fed and drained by the Lerma River.
chaparral N.sha-po-'ralX Vegetation composed of broad-leaved ever¬ green shrubs, bushes, and small trees, often forming dense thickets. Chap¬ arral is found in regions with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The name is applied mainly to the coastal and inland mountain vegetation of southwestern North America. Chaparral vegetation becomes extremely dry by late summer. The fires that commonly occur during this period are necessary for the germination of many shrub seeds, and they clear away dense ground cover, thus maintaining the shrubby growth form of the vegetation by preventing the spread of trees. New chaparral growth provides good graz¬ ing for domestic livestock, and chaparral vegetation also is valuable for watershed protection in areas with steep, easily eroded slopes.
chaparral cock See roadrunner
Chaplin, Charlie in full Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (b. April 16, 1889, London, Eng.—d. Dec. 25, 1977, Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switz.) British-U.S. actor and director. The son of poverty-stricken music-hall entertainers, he became a vaudeville performer at age eight. On tour in New York (1913), he caught the eye of Mack Sennett, who signed him to a film contract. While making his second film, Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914), Chaplin developed the costume—baggy pants, derby hat, over¬ sized shoes, and cane—that was to become the hallmark of his famous “little tramp” character. He was soon directing his own films, and he became an instant star in The Tramp (1915). After cofounding United Art¬ ists in 1919, he produced, directed, and starred in such classics as The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), and Limelight (1952). Harassed for his leftist political views, he moved to Switzerland in 1952. In 1972 he returned to the U.S. to accept a special Academy Award.
Chapman, Frank Michler (b. June 12, 1864, Englewood, N.J., U.S.—d. Nov. 15, 1945, New York, N.Y.) self-taught U.S. ornithologist. He began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in 1887 and was curator of ornithology in 1908^42; his exhibits were some of the first to display birds in naturalistic settings. He founded and edited (1899— 1935) the magazine Bird-Lore. Among his many important works are Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America (1895) and several on South American birds.
Chapman, Maria Weston orig. Maria Weston (b. July 25,1806, Weymouth, Mass., U.S.—d. July 12, 1885, Weymouth) U.S. abolitionist. She was principal of the Young Ladies’ High School in Boston from 1828 to 1830, when she married Henry Chapman, a Boston merchant. In 1832, with 12 other women, she founded the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Soci¬ ety. Later she became chief assistant to William Lloyd Garrison, helping him to run the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and to edit The Lib¬ erator, a widely circulated abolitionist publication. In 1839 she published
Chantilly lace from France, c. 1870; in the Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artis- tique, Brussels.
COURTESY OF THE INSTITUT ROYAL DU PATRIMOINE ARTISTIQUE, BRUSSELS; PHOTOGRAPH, © A.C.L., BRUSSELS
Chantilly porcelain plate decorated with dragons, c. 1725; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
COURTESY OF THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
374 I Chapultepec ► Charles
a pamphlet arguing that the divisions among abolitionists stemmed from their disagreements over women’s rights.
Chapultepec \cha-'pul-ta-,pek\ Rocky hill, southwest of Mexico City, Mexico. The Aztecs fortified it and built a religious centre and a residence for their rulers in the early 14th century. The Spanish coNQUiSTADORes built a chapel in 1554, and in the 1780s the Spanish viceroys constructed a summer palace there that later became the home of the National Military Academy (1841). The hill was captured by a U.S. assault (1847) in the Mexican War. In the 1860s Mexico’s Emperor Maximilian rebuilt the castle; it remained the official residence of Mexican presidents until 1940, when it was converted into a museum.
char Any of several freshwater food and game fishes (genus Salvelinus) of the salmon family, distinguished from the similar trout by light, rather than black, spots; by a boat-shaped, rather than flat, vomer (bone) on the roof of the mouth; and by having teeth on the front of the vomer rather than on the shaft. Char often have smaller scales than their relatives. The Arctic char, of North America and Europe, inhabits the Arctic and adja¬ cent oceans and enters rivers and lakes to breed. It may weigh 15 lbs (7 kg) or more. The brook trout, Dolly Varden trout, and lake trout are native North American char.
charcoal Impure form of carbon, obtained as a residue when material containing carbon is partially burned or heated with limited access to air. Coke, carbon black, and soot are forms of charcoal; other forms are named for their source material, such as wood, blood, or bone. Largely replaced by coke in blast furnaces and by natural gas as a raw material, charcoal is still used to make black gunpowder and in case-hardening metals. Acti¬ vated charcoal is a finely powdered or highly porous form whose surface area is hundreds or thousands of square meters per gram. It has many uses as an adsorbent (see adsorption), including for poison treatment, and as a catalyst or catalyst carrier.
Charcot \shar-'ko\, Jean-Martin (b. Nov. 29, 1825, Paris, Fr.—d. Aug. 16, 1893, Morvan) French medical teacher and clinician. With Guil¬ laume Duchenne (b. 1806—d. 1875) he is considered the founder of modern neurology. In 1882 he opened Europe’s greatest neurological clinic of the day. An extraordinary teacher, he was known for his work with hysteria and hypnosis, which influenced many students, including Sigmund Freud. He described the symptoms of locomotor ataxia and the disintegration of ligaments and joint surfaces it causes (Charcot disease, Charcot joint), pioneered the linking of brain sites with specific functions, and discovered miliary aneurysms in the brain.
chard or Swiss chard Edible-leaf beet {Beta vulgaris, variety cicla ), a variety of beet in which the tender leaves and leafstalks have become greatly developed. They are a good source of vitamins A, B, and C.
Chard is popular as a home-garden pot herb because it is easy to grow, productive, and tolerant of moderate heat. Highly perishable, it is difficult to ship to distant markets.
Chardin \shar-'da n \, Jean- Baptiste-Simeon (b. Nov. 2,
1699, Paris, France—d. Dec. 6,
1779, Paris) French painter. He first received acclaim in 1728, when he became a member of the Royal Academy of Painting in Paris. He became known as a successful painter of still lifes and domestic scenes that were remarkable for their intimate realism, tranquil atmo¬ sphere, and luminosity. In his later years he produced stunning pastel portraits. He was the greatest still-life painter of the 18th century, well known in his lifetime through engravings of his work. The meditative quiet of his work contrasts with the spirit of light and superficial bril¬ liance seen in the work of many of his contemporaries. Many 20th-century artists were inspired by the abstract qualities of his compositions.