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Originally written by Stillness:

Non-random means that a pattern is formed or proceeds with a specific guide or objective. If an asteroid strikes a mountain, causes a rockslide, one of the rocks rolls into a cave, and water drips from the cave ceiling and erodes it, then it is random – even if it looks like a heart. There is no objective on the part of the cave, the water, or the rock. Contrast that with an automated assembly line that produces heart-shaped chocolates. The machinery and programming have the specific purpose of shaping the chocolate into hearts every time.

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Okay, basic probability time. No number is inherently random or non-random. Processes can be random or non-random, not numbers. Finding the next digits in pi is a non-random process. Selecting a number, any number, out of all numbers can be done randomly. But the number 2 could be random or non-random, depending on how you come up with it, and so could pi.

This is just what the word "random" in probability means.

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Originally written by Kelandon:

Heh.

But how on earth are you deep enough in this material to know that there are inconsistencies and yet not deep enough to know what I just said? :P

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Originally written by I'll Steal Your Toast:

I am starting the fourth book of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The series is really excellent. The title is A Feast for Crows. It is off to a good start.

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Originally written by Kelandon:

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Originally written by Stillness:

If one tries to escape the universe being linked to an eternal cause by assuming a finite one, this seems to beg the question. At some point you either come to an infinite cause or an infinite progression of finite ones, which is still brings you to eternity.

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Eh, or you redefine time, which seems to be the real way to escape the problem. (I'm reminded here of what statistical mechanics does to the concept of "temperature," which is kind of the same thing that serious cosmology has to do to the concept of "time.")

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Why would the God that created galaxy clusters, the human brain, hummingbirds, and romance lie? It’s like if you’re going on and on about how great your mother is and how much she sacrificed for you and I say, “But what if she really hates you and raising you was a ruse just so she could break into your house and steal your stuff?!”

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But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

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All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

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Originally written by Kelandon:

Eh, right after college I'm going to go into work unrelated to anything I studied in college. The degree is important, not so much what it's in, for what I'm going to be doing.

I find it funny that people think my science degree (Astrophysics) is more practical than my humanities degree (Classical Languages). A B.A. in Astro is useless for a getting a job, except in that it's a B.A., which a B.A. in Classical Languages is, too. To get a job in astronomy, you really should have at least an M.A. or a Ph. D., and an M.A. or Ph. D. in Classics is just as good as one in Astro as far as job value.

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Originally written by I'll Steal Your Toast:

No, I think evil bad signal guy from Going Postal was caught and now gets to make a mint in Making Money...

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Originally written by Ephesos:

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Originally written by Miramor:

...spiders with 12 AP, web touch...

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Potentially a game-breaker, you know. Too many hits with webbing = party never gets to move again.

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