Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: D-fendr
I read Einstein to say that chaos does not rule the universe. That there is an underlying principle(s).

A matter of interpretaton. Quantum "randomness" is not chaos, it's just a matter of not being able to predict "individual" events at the quantum level. In macro sized numbers (on the order of 10^21 and more particles, things are quite predictable. Sort of like ideal gases. Individual particles are doing the old random walk, but the mass obeys certain laws.

13 posted on 12/04/2008 12:32:37 AM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]


To: El Gato

Yes. That we cannot predict the individual is of little consequence in the overall situation that the result, the macro is predictable, “seeable” by science.

And the fact that there is a Quantum Theory also illustrates that there is a principle(s) governing chaos or pure randomness.

No scientist, I believe, would say the universe is completely random. (Else “we” wouldn’t exist.)

So, I disagree that it is a matter of interpretation that chaos does not rule the universe. It is de facto ruled by some organizing principle(s). That we have not formulated it precisely does not alter this.

Also, we have the competing relativity and quantum theories and the search for unification.

All of this, I believe, proves Einstein’s basic point (though he may have disbelieved it’s literalness on the quantum level).


14 posted on 12/04/2008 1:17:09 AM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson