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Pseudorandom

May 30 2003 at 2:17 AM
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Mike D 


Response to Well...

 

Pseudorandom, not random. True randomness is extreemly rare. From my understanding of it true randomness has to have no pattern whatsoever. I think I remember reading a definition of randomness somewhere where it said that it had to have infinite possibilities, but I don't think that is part of the widely accepted definition. Personally, I don't believe that infinity is perceviable so I tend to avoid that part when it comes up in textbooks. Academic things can be a lot of fun but there comes a point when something becomes too academic for me.

As you pointed out, genetics has many patterns. It does not have a completely predictable pattern though, which is why I used the term pseudorandom. Genetics can be predicted through calculations but it can not be calculated with 100% accuracy. It's less predictable than the hypotenuse of a right triangle but more predictable than arbitrarily pointing a radio antenna into deep space. I think the number you used for predicting major human traits is 70% accuracy. You obviously have a better background in genetics than I do so I'll go with that.

I'll try to be more precise from now on when I use numbers to make a point, starting with this: My calling human physical traits a 'coin toss' was inaccurate by 20% or more in most cases. I still hold that genetics is pseudorandom because you can not calculate outcomes, only predict them.

 
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