I had a hard time understanding chaos theory until at one point I figured that "predictability" and "determinability" are not the same thing. A complex system can be deterministic without being predictable (look at Sephen Wolfram's simple roules). Once you understand that, it gets much easier, but in our every-day experience we equate those two and get into trouble for it.

As for the mind: it is still mindboggling to come to terms with the notion that the speaker and the listener in your/my head are one and the same process, isn't it. :)

It is refreshing to read you thoughts on topics other than energy crisis and material depletion. Keep up!