I lifted the above from
Wikipedia.
So, if randomness were to have a
role, then that role would be non-intelligible.
Truly this is enough said.
However, I will add a bit of practical explanation to bring the point
home.
Every element in the event space
of the universe has a cause. How do I
know? Well, the Bible tells me so. Ok, what about the cloud that is blown
together in the shape of an elephant (“Fooled by Randomness” – Taleb)? I say, what about it? Am I being asked to believe that clouds form due
to un-intelligible causes? I don’t think
so. I think everyone accepts that there
exists a set of deterministic forces that working together form clouds. Am I being asked a purpose for the shape? That it has a shape is a necessary condition
for it being blown together. No shape,
no together. That its shape evolves is a
physical property of the fluid in which it is blown together. None of the shapes it takes on in its life
are the result of randomness. Each is a
result of the fluid dynamic present at the time the shape is formed. The elephant shape fit the dynamic of the
moment. The elephant was not selected at
random from a deck of shapes. It was the
only shape that fit the present dynamic.
There is nothing random here. If
we could grasp all the deterministic forces at play and know all the values of
all the variables involved, then we could know exactly when, where, and why the shape
of the elephant appeared.
And there you have it. We use the term random if and only if we do
not understand the dynamic of the forces involved. It is another way to say: “I don’t know how that happened.” Used to be folks gave unashamed praise,
honor, and glory to God Almighty for things not understood. Now, we give it up for randomness. Chance is the cause of things not understood. As R.C. Sproul said: “Not a chance!”
Again from Wikipedia: "According to several standard interpretations
of quantum mechanics, microscopic phenomena are objectively random. That is, in
an experiment where all causally relevant parameters are controlled, there will
still be some aspects of the outcome which vary randomly. An example of such an
experiment is placing a single unstable atom in a controlled environment; it
cannot be predicted how long it will take for the atom to decay; only the
probability of decay within a given time can be calculated."
In other words; we
don’t understand the dynamic. If the physicists
are suggesting that randomness IS the cause then they might just as well claim
the Great Spaghetti Monster is pulling the strings. Probability distributions have no power They are an imaginary construct used as a
proxy for true understanding.
1 comment:
What a great post. I’m emailing this to my friends.
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