Sniffnoy comments on Open Thread: February 2010, part 2 - Less Wrong

10 Post author: CronoDAS 16 February 2010 08:29AM

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Comment author: Sniffnoy 21 February 2010 07:46:34AM 2 points [-]

I don't understand why true randomness is a problem. Is there something so wrong with probabilistic determinism?

Comment author: byrnema 22 February 2010 10:15:56PM 0 points [-]

I think so. If a process is truly random, does this mean there was no mechanism for it? How was it determined? It seems to me that picking a random number is something a closed system cannot possibly do.

Comment author: RobinZ 22 February 2010 10:24:10PM 0 points [-]

"Cannot possibly" is a very strong claim - I would hesitate to say anything much stronger than "should not be expected to".

Comment author: byrnema 22 February 2010 10:29:48PM 1 point [-]

You're correct of course.

But I'm 'sticking my neck out' on this one -- my intention was to signal this.

Comment author: RobinZ 22 February 2010 10:31:36PM *  0 points [-]

Admirable! I will read it as a rhetorical flourish, then.

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