Is there really such a thing as something that's random?

Question

Does randomness actually exist? Not even a computer can come up with a truly random number, so what is random?

Answer 1

Noise

Take a microphone and record nothing then play back. There will be random and periodic signals in the background noise. Filter out the periodic signals and you have pure random noise.

Also the randomness of who answered this question. Ask it 10 more times and compare the answers.

A computer is designed to run programs and typically used a random number generator, but a computer does not even compare to the power of the human brain. Look at the good and evil that man does and ask yourself, is not that really random?

Answer 2

Yes, randomness really does exist.

Computers cannot come up with a truly 'random' number because they are finite state machines. It's the word 'finite' that's the killer here.

In a purely mathematical sense, the word random simply means something that cannot be computed and which has no statistical correlation with anything else.

The decimal expansion(s) of any irrational number (such as Pi, e, sqrt(2), etc.) is an infinitely long and purely random string of numbers. If that were not the case and there *were* repeating patterns, then it could be reduced to a rational fraction. For example, 0.076923076923076923076923076923076923.... can be reduced to the fraction 1/13.

Interestingly enough, in any infinitely long random string, it is possible to find *any* desired substring of any (finite) length. If that were not the case, it would indicate that some non-random force was at work to prevent that particular random event.

This means that, if you assigned the letters of the alphabet to 2 digit numbers (in the obvious way) that the decimal expansion of *any* irrational number would have embedde in it all of Shakespears Sonnets, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysberg Address, and that godawful English paper you got a D- on

That bothers most people because you could find, embedded in such a string using that coding scheme, details of not only every invention and news story that has ever been written, but also that would ever *be* written in the future!!! But, since the string is infinitely long, it would take an infinite amount of time to wade through it.

Probably best to just wait and keep your fingers crossed on that stock you bought the other day


Doug

Answer 3

True - a computer can't come up with a random number - but only because we know how computers work. In reality (for example, if a number is generated from the numeral that is the fifth digit from the decimal point of the second of the present time when a key is pressed, i.e. time 10:31:35.94824 PM, the digit would be 4 and and for all practical and realistic purposes - this number would be random. But because we know that if the exact time of the key press, the exact time of day, the exact electronic processing time for the computer to react to the key press and output the result, the exact time recorded by the computer - well, you get the idea - if ALL of the factors are exactly known for cause, we can predict effect. Hense, in theory, no randomness - but in reality, there's plenty of random events, only because we don't know ALL of the variables or the variables are so numerous or complex it would be improbable at best to have all of the information needed to predict the outcome. Good question - brain exercise.

Answer 4

I suppose if you dare answer a question like that--"What is randomness? Is it absolute?" you'd have to stop and think about it in a relative sense first if you are already doubting its meaning altogether.

Something random can be considered absolute in the sense that it is relative to the observer. A random happening would be one such that the observer can not process its objective, pattern, or purpose. If those three things have not been found, something observed is considered random by default.

Something "random" just happens just because it "can" happen; it happens because everything around it aloud for its brief existence.

Answer 5

Well let's see. What you DO have is sensitive dependence on intial conditions. That means that although you can calculate the result, you have to have huge amounts of very detailed information to get the answer. They call this "the butterfly effect" because the idea is that a butterfly flapping it's wings on one side of the world might affect the weather next week on the other side of the world. So, since you can't ever measure or keep track of such small air currents, for all practical purposes there is a random element to the weather or the movment of turbulent water, etc.

Answer 6

The entire science of statistics is based on randomness, and it's entirely possible to generate random numbers. In fact, in quantum mechanics, there's even the concept of irreducible randomness. No matter how many variables in an experiment testing an aspect of quantum mechanics that you control for, you are still confronted with random outcomes. The digits that constitute Pi are random. I'd like to know where you got your information. Here's where you can review some of mine if you wish.

Answer 7

Since we have no actual definition of randomness, you sort of have to take it on faith, and even then, there is no guarantees. But basically you would have to go to something in the physical world, such as the results of sets of dice carefully set up to churn out "random" results.

Answer 8

"Randomness" is a human convention and idea used to denote things which APPARENTLY have no correlation to another thing.

Ideas that used to be thought as random ( e.g. comets and their unscheduled appearances ) are now thought NOT to be random because of scientific understanding.

Similarly, current concepts that are poorly understood by current theories are considered "random" and can one day be not random.

To answer your question:

there is only "relative randomness" which can vary depending on one's knowledge and understanding.

Note: there are entire branches of physics ( Quantum theory ) that are based on the randomness of subatomic particles to explain many observed events. Perhaps in the distant future, quantum theory may be abandoned if a better way of understanding nature is discovered.

hope it answered your intriguing question ! :)

Answer 9

51265.. thats a random number that came into my head... so, Is there really such a thing as something that's random? oh and 7 :)

Answer 10

Random is me going into a crowd at the State Fair blindfolded, and walking into the crowd with my index finger pointed out, and giving all the money in my wallet to the first person I touch. THAT'S RANDOM.