Stochastic drift

Alright kiddo, let's talk about something called stochastic drift. Imagine you're playing a game that relies on chance, like rolling dice. Every time you roll the dice, there's a small chance that it might move in a certain direction, even if you roll it the same way every time. That's a bit like stochastic drift.

In science, sometimes we use models or equations to predict what might happen in the future. However, because a lot of things in the world are random or based on probability, these predictions might not always be 100% accurate. Stochastic drift refers to the idea that these small random variations can add up over time, and cause the predicted outcomes to be different from what actually happens.

Think of it like a little bit of wind that's always changing direction, and is constantly pushing something in one way or another. Over a long enough period of time, that constant little push can really add up, and change the final result.

Scientists use the idea of stochastic drift to be more realistic in their predictions, and to account for the fact that small random events can make a big difference in the end. Does that make sense, kiddo?