
Ask HN: Every outcome in this world is a mathematical function. Do you agree? - googlycooly
Every outcome is controlled by variables that are sometimes known or sometimes unknown. If we could identify these variables, we can predict any outcome in this world.<p>Do you agree?
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2rsf
Maybe to the first one, Big definite no to the second one- quantum physics,
chaotic systems (as in Chaos theory) and the fact that we still don't know all
the rules of nature are theoretical limits to your idea.

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tgflynn
No. Determinism hasn't been an accepted model of physics for a hundred years.

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hans1729
...below the atomic domain, which may very well constitute what the author
considers "this world". Our lifes don't take place in the quantum realm
(although you could argue that reality as a whole is some weird quantum graph)

And even on the quantum level, it's not like anyone is able to falsify
determinism; due to uncertainty and a lack of understanding, all we have are
pdfs, right?

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tgflynn
> Our lifes don't take place in the quantum realm

The world is full of unpredictable noise, ultimately because of quantum
mechanics. This noise inevitably gets amplified to the point where it affects
the behavior of complex macroscopic systems.

> And even on the quantum level, it's not like anyone is able to falsify
> determinism

Since physics is an empirical science it's never possible to be certain of
anything. However the evidence against quantum mechanics being deterministic
is quite strong. In particular Bell's inequality shows that such a
deterministic theory if it is compatible with known experimental results would
have to violate the principle of locality.

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sesuximo
does it matter

