arndt@lymph.DEC (08/05/85)
What are the chances that chance has ever produced anything?? I mean I hear people saying funny things like "the world came about by chance". What are they saying? Isn't 'chance' merely a DESCRIPTION, not a THING to produce anything? Sounds like more pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo to me. Just what IS 'chance'??? Regards, Ken Arndt
gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) (08/06/85)
> I mean I hear people saying funny things like "the world came about by > chance". What are they saying? Isn't 'chance' merely a DESCRIPTION, > not a THING to produce anything? People say lots of funny things. Perhaps what you're referring to is the physics consensus that the fundamental laws are inherently probabilistic, with the probability NOT due simply to a lack of sufficiently detailed information but rather a constraint on just how much detail is knowable. This is "quantum physics" and you should look in a good encyclopedia for an overview of the subject.
wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) (08/07/85)
In article <460@brl-tgr.ARPA> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes: > ... This is "quantum physics" and you >should look in a good encyclopedia for an overview of the subject. For years I got a glazed look in my eyes when one of my physicist friends started talking about quantum mechanics ("Quantum mechanics? Whaa ... aren't they guys who work for some Australian airline?"). Then I got a copy of "The Cosmic Code" by Heinz Pagels from my local library. It's the first explanation of quantum physics that made sense to me, in large part because Pagels is an excellent writer. Check it out. -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly
mikes@AMES-NAS.ARPA (08/09/85)
From: mikes@AMES-NAS.ARPA (Peter Mikes) It may help (to escape the metaphysical trp/cancel/ trap) to ask: What is the role of stochastic vs determinictic model for ceirtain phenomena. E.G. The darvin (Darwin"s) theory is stochastic - basad on random mutations. And so - evolution is driven by chance . The question 'what is photon' is less productive (usually) than question ' what is speed of light'. Same goes for chance (perhaps). . :q .
peter@kitty.UUCP (Peter DaSilva) (08/09/85)
> friends started talking about quantum mechanics ("Quantum mechanics? > Whaa ... aren't they guys who work for some Australian airline?"). Then No, that's "qantum mechanics". No 'u', remember.
DANTE@EDWARDS-2060.ARPA (08/09/85)
1
mikes@AMES-NAS.ARPA (08/09/85)
From: mikes@AMES-NAS.ARPA (Peter Mikes)