Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: cracker
If you think that such software can self-form in a natural, unaided, non-intelligent environment, then I suggest that you either show an example of such an event or go back and view the math listed in the link that I conveniently provided for you in Post #310. Once you understand the math, you'll see that your claim is invalid and in error. - Southack

"Again, Post 310 does not prove that. It shows that a line of text from Hamlet did not appear in a specified finite interval. That does not mean that it would not appear in a longer finite interval - say, 10^70 years." - cracker

Then you didn't understand the math. The math SPECIFICALLY shows that you can calculate the odds of probability/improbability for the longer time period.

You have not done so. If you aren't willing to use math to refute the math that I posted, then you are unscientific. come back when you are willing to post the probability/improbability calculations for your longer time period and then we'll discuss the chances of the first sentence of Hamlet self-forming randomly.

By that point you might even understand how much the improbability increases and the corresponding probability decreases if you increase the size of that sentence by even one letter.

Until you can work the math, you've got nothing to contribute on this point.

411 posted on 03/05/2002 12:12:50 PM PST by Southack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 408 | View Replies ]


To: Southack
You have not done so. If you aren't willing to use math to refute the math that I posted, then you are unscientific. come back when you are willing to post the probability/improbability calculations for your longer time period and then we'll discuss the chances of the first sentence of Hamlet self-forming randomly.

By that point you might even understand how much the improbability increases and the corresponding probability decreases if you increase the size of that sentence by even one letter.

Dodge again. The math is clear - just as it is staggeringly unlikely that the correct alphabetical sequence will appear in 10^17 yers, it is VERY probable that it will appear in 10^70 years. Maybe you better go back to read the article. Or at least explain why I'm wrong.

As to why it becomes more difficult, that's easy too: add another character, and the difficulty increases by a factor of 34. Big deal - I guess this means we both got out of 6th grade.

416 posted on 03/05/2002 12:20:46 PM PST by cracker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 411 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


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