from borel's theorem on normal numbers it follows that 'finite state finite time random number generators do not exist'

this^^^
Most events seem random because we don't have enough information to predict them. But as khemist has pointed out, there are ways to create truly random events, that can NEVER be predicted. All you need to create an event like this in the lab is a source of photons, a photon detector, and 2 polarizing lenses. Interestingly enough, you can also demonstrate though Bose–Einstein statistics that this randomness can not be blamed on lack of knowledge. Randomness is here to stay, no matter how much people dislike it.

If you set the coin on exactly the same face side every flip, and exert the same pressure (from a machine of course), and flip it in a vacuum, you will always get an "exact" flip (gravity is of course constant). Meaning it will always land on the same side.

the number of breaths i'll take in my lifetime is truly random

Who is the "you" that can or cannot account for the variables? Humanity in general? When humans could not account for the variables that controlled lunar cycles, were lunar cycles random? Did lunar become non-random after humans figured out what caused them to behave how they did?

its not an equation until the outcomes are predictable so no

There is no such thing as random

everything has a 50/50 chance of happening

either it does or it doesn't

not sure.

i think there is a cause to how much or how fast we breathe.

lets say someone had a dream in which a particular tree turned into a monster. Then his girlfriend says that she would like to have sex with someone so he should leave. He is annoyed puts his jogging cloth on leaves and goes running in a wood.
Then suddenly he sees the same tree as in his dream, which then causes the body to release stress hormones, corticosteroids, gluccocorticoids, noradrenaline, adrenaline etc. As a result the breathing rate shoots upwards for several minutes.

Clearly it seems that there is a long causal chain behind the rate this guy is breathing. I think such a causal chain is behind every breathing episode we have and if what I say is true than the amount of breaths we take in a lifetime is not random.

But maybe someone can find a randomly occuring event in my retarded example.

This post was edited by YaC on Aug 4 2013 01:00pm

if you dont know what to expect next