Randomness

Random numbers are screwy. A computer can't make them. It makes pseudorandom garbage with a function of many unpredictable inputs. But it's not truly random (defined ; "Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective") as for the same inputs, the same output will be made. It makes sense, as you can't just randomly pull a number out of nowhere. Rolling a dice is not random - it's unpredictable, but not random.

And as it occurred to me the other day during some quality crapper time, it wouldn't be impossible to create a robot that could use resources to make copies of itself. Well, its not going to be impossible forever. Code in some do this, find that algorithms, some sensors and feed a few pseudo random numbers into its decision making functions. The robot would run around, do random things, but all its doing is making simple choices based on some inputs and a number that, as discussed, isn't random.

So if dice and robots aren't capable of truly random things, would we have some real randomness in our minds at all? People seem predictable. Very predictable most times. If you could ask your friend a question, then rewind time and ask them again in the exact same fashion, (no environment changes whatsoever) I'd bet they would make the same choice. A lot of sci-fi movies and etc like to spout on about an infinite number of parallel dimensions where in each you've made a different choice. That's bunk. It would require some insane randomness in your mind.

But if you're void of any random stuff going on in your head, then it would appear that your mind is just an index of previous choices, subjected to an environment to which it must formulate its unpredicatable but nonrandom response. Artificial intelligence then fails to remain as an impossibility.

I already know what people are going to say, there will be a bunch of people saying "Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle"-this, quantum physics-that, then there will be a bunch of people saying that this brings us to the conclusion that everything is fated, if infinitely unpredictable. The weird thing is, reading this, as much as doing anything else would have, has influenced your decision making for the rest of your life. (For example, in the future, you'd probably decide not to ask sheldon about randomness, to avoid the ranting)