Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lanl.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!wjh12!talcott!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!jlg From: jlg@lanl.ARPA Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: Is the universe predictable? Message-ID: <18281@lanl.ARPA> Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 16:59:12 EST Article-I.D.: lanl.18281 Posted: Tue Dec 18 16:59:12 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 01:36:54 EST References: <382@ukma.UUCP> <6641@brl-tgr.ARPA> Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory Lines: 22 > > I think the question here is: Are there any truly random forces? > > The consensus of the physics community appears to be that quantum > laws are inherently random, and that this is NOT just a lack of > detailed understanding of a really deterministic situation. > > This bothers me.. Actually, it IS (maybe) just a lack of detailed understanding of a really deterministic situation. Unfortunately, the uncertainty principle states that if there is such an underlying determinism, it is inherently unknowable. So, Quantum mechanics may as well be completely non- deterministic for any practical discussion. Note that even a deterministic system may be completely unpredictable. Consider the stopping problem in computing science. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so - Louis Pastuer James Giles