My son finds decision-making challenging at times (OK, who doesn't?) and eeny, meeny, miny, moe helps him break his internal deadlock. Actually, it did until he realized it was deterministic and he could decide the outcome by choosing where to start. So now he waves his hand around while he sings a song for a while, then opts for whatever he's pointing at when the song ends. I'm not sure it's actually a random process, but it seems like it must be closer than the original version. Plus he finds it satisfying which is … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Artificial Intelligence Deploys Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
randomness
Science Reader Question: Evolutionary Project Management
A few months back, I received some questions here on the blog about evolutionary biology and its implications for Christian theology. They probed broadly and deeply, covering original sin, the problem of evil and many of the topics everyone asks about and indeed have been asking about since long before anyone conceived of a theory of evolution. These questions warrant more detailed answers than a few comments can provide, so I will be taking a look at them in some depth over the next few weeks. Looking ahead, I expect … [Read more...] about Science Reader Question: Evolutionary Project Management
Science Corner: BioLogos Conference Recap, Pt 2
Earlier this summer, I had the privilege to attend BioLogos' Evolution & Christian Faith conference. Last week, I shared some of the talks from the conference, with an emphasis on theological topics. This week, I want to highlight some of the scientific topics. I had a hard time choosing, especially since these recordings allowed me to catch up with talks I wasn't able to attend in person. There are even more talks available here, covering areas I haven't even begun to address, like science education. … [Read more...] about Science Corner: BioLogos Conference Recap, Pt 2
Science in Review: Quantum Foam Fluctuation, Roll for Initiative
I've always been sympathetic to Einstein's famous assertion "God doesn't play dice with the world." In my public health training, I regularly and fruitfully used statistics and probability theory. Ideologically, they struck me as concessions to pragmatism. Human beings are too complex, their measurable attributes innumerable; we cannot know enough about them to accurately describe their full condition at any moment. We appeal to the law of large numbers to save us from our finitude. Somewhere behind those statistics are … [Read more...] about Science in Review: Quantum Foam Fluctuation, Roll for Initiative