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To: mlo
"Random" simply means unaided by any intelligent bias. "No, that is NOT what random means." - mlo

Then what does "random" mean in your world?

91 posted on 03/05/2002 2:44:00 PM PST by Southack
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To: Southack
Then what does "random" mean in your world?

It isn't in "my world", it's what the word means. This is about a statistical argument. Statistically speaking, "random" means it has a uniform distribution, in that any possible outcome is equally likely. That's it. It has nothing to do with a lack of intelligent bias.

In more casual usage people use "random" to mean "by chance". Even though random effects play a role, evolution is NOT a random process.

Randomness would only be relevent to DNA formation if the it was postulated that an entire DNA molecule formed at one time, out of its component parts. Nobody believes that. The randomness argument is not relevent.

101 posted on 03/05/2002 2:54:53 PM PST by mlo
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To: Southack
First in a series of Southack is wrong.

"Random" simply means unaided by any intelligent bias.--Post 81

From www.dictionary.com:

random

Mathematics & Statistics. Of or relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.

There are natural occurances that are non-random. Chemical reactions are non random, for example.

655 posted on 12/12/2002 6:09:33 AM PST by ThinkPlease
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