There are two conceivable forms of randomness:
- Genuine randomness, in which there is no underlying cause and effect
- Statistical randomness, in which something looks random, but is actually deterministic.
Chaos theory in maths provides a mechanism for generating apparently random behaviour from a simple deterministic equation. It's called 'deterministic chaos' and it's used in weather forecasting, and many other areas.
The apparent indeterminacy comes from the fact that small variations in input parameters can lead to large changes in behaviour over successive cycles of time.
Genuine randomness has never been proven to exist, but then it would be impossible to prove that something was genuinely random unless we understood the entire workings of the Universe.
The chances are high that every process which looks random to us, is in fact deterministic chaos, but we can't prove it either way, at least not today. So we can't prove randomness exists, but we can determine if it's a useful concept...
What is Science?
Science attempts to know the natural world and it's processes by the study of cause and effect.
Everything in science is the study of causes and effects. One without the other would be outside the realm of science, and in the realm of magic.
Randomness In Science
The concept of randomness is key in many areas. Science treats randomness as if it were a real thing. It's apparently a useful concept, but it seems that the difference between the two types of randomness is not well appreciated.
Evolution is supposed to work by random mutation.
"The mechanisms of evolution—like natural selection and genetic drift—work with the random variation generated by mutation."
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIIC1aRandom.shtmlQuantum mechanics is supposed to work by random transformations.
"the change of the initial wavefunction into another, later wavefunction is not deterministic, it is unpredictable (i.e., random)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics
People accept randomness as a valid scientific principle, but is it actually?
'Random' means 'Supernatural'
The definition of 'random' is pretty much the same as the definition of 'supernatural'... They are effectively synonyms.
random: Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective. Without regard for rules
supernatural: attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
If an event is random it's beyond scientific understanding, it follows no rules or pattern. It doesn't follow the laws of nature. It's supernatural.
This is exactly the objection most 'scientists' have to the concept of a natural God. But they accept the unnatural god of random with open arms...
For randomness to exist it would have to be a god - a "causeless cause", something that comes from nothing into existence spontaneously.
Science can only study things which are knowable. For it to invoke an unknowable cause defeats it's very purpose. If a thing is random, it's not knowable. If it had no cause, there's no cause-and-effect, there's no possibility of science.
So the idea of Randomness, far from being useful, is the antithesis of science itself. It's even more unknowable and unscientific than an intelligent creator, which at least you might be able to communicate with. There's no hope that any science can be applied to Randomness, it's outside science, it is anti-science.
For anyone to say they don't believe in God, because the Universe was created by chance, is perfect irony.
The Implicate Order
Of course, if there is no such thing as true randomness, then this means these things must all work according to a pre-defined pattern. It means there is an underlying order, a design, meaning and purpose behind the whole of creation. It's the only other possibility.
Just as the rules of science require the theory of an intelligent creator, simply because there's no other possible theory available, they also require that we discard the ridiculous notion of randomness.
If everything we perceive as random is in fact deterministic chaos then it means that there is NO supernatural randomness, but rather a natural and knowable law, an implicate order. It means that every evolutionary selection, every radioactive decay, follows a pre-defined plan.
Either: a) The universe runs on predefined rules, or b) The universe contains magical randomness.
The interesting thing about Chaos theory is that it provides a mechanism for creating vast diversity in which every individual thing is different, and yet fully defined in simple maths.