Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On Random Numbers and Design

  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The term random is frequently used in discussion of the theory of evolution, even though the mathematical concept of randomness is problematic and of littlerelevance in the theory. Therefore, since the core concept of the theory of evolutionis the non-random process of natural selection, the term random should not be usedin teaching the theory. Furthermore, biologists have developed computer programsto simulate evolution that are ostensibly based upon randomness, yet they do notdisclose that these programs use deterministic random number generators. Thusanother argument against the use of the term random in teaching evolution is thatthis determinism is liable to be invoked by creationists.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbott, E.A.: 1884/1994, Flatland, Project Gutenberg, http://promo.net/pg//

  • Chaitin, G.J.: 1988, 'Randomness in Arithmetic', Scientific American pp. 52-57.

  • Chaitin, G.J.: 2001, Exploring Randomness, Springer Verlag, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darwin, C.: 1871/1999, The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection; or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (Sixth Edition), Project Gutenberg. http://promo.net/pg/

  • Dawkins, R.: 1986, The Blind Watchmaker, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawkins, R.: 1997, Climbing Mount Improbable, Penguin Books, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holton, G. and S.G. Brush: 2001, Physics, the Human Adventure: From Copernicus to Einstein and Beyond, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isaac, R.: 1995, The Pleasures of Probability, Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman, S.: 1995, At Home in the Universe: The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity, Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knuth, D.E.: 1998. The Art of Computer Programming (Third Edition): Volume 2/Seminumerical Algorithms, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, K.R.: 1999, Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, Cliff Street Books, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pennock, R.: 1999, The Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray, T.E.: 1992, 'Evolution, Ecology and Optimization of Digital Organisms', Technical Report 92-08-042, Santa Fe Institute. http://www.isd.atr.co.jp/~ray/pubs/tierra/tierra.tex

  • Shermer, M.: 2000, How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science, W.H. Freeman, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorger, T.: 1999, 'The Argument from Design versus the Self-organization of Nature: Historical Sources &; Critique of an Example from the Popular Press', in Science as Culture: 5th International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Conference, Como, Italy.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science Teaching, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel (

    Morechai Ben-Ari

Authors
  1. Morechai Ben-Ari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ben-Ari, M. On Random Numbers and Design. Science & Education 13, 235–241 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SCED.0000025576.56763.fe

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SCED.0000025576.56763.fe

Keywords

Search

Navigation