The Second Law Diaries

The four-leaf clover has long been a symbol of good fortune. But what if we explored this superstition through the lens of statistics and probability? Is luck truly random, or can boldness and persistence increase our chances of stumbling upon good fortune? Defining Luck The rarity of a four-leaf clover is well-documented; approximately 1 in 5,000 clovers are estimated to carry this genetic anomaly. It is improbable for you to pluck out a 4 leaf clover simply by plucking a random clover off the field. Finding a four leaf clover is considered lucky due to the improbable nature of its finding. This experience of an improbable event can be considered luck. Probability in Action: Finding the Clover Imagine walking through a large field of clovers. Every step you take can be modeled as a random sampling process, similar to drawing lottery tickets. I modelled this in python to have the data to explore the concept of luck.  Here is a plot of these walks with frequency of finding the clove...

  This piece dives into the arguments against the idea of a "God's Plan." The question essentially boils down to whether we live in a deterministic universe or not: if things happen because they were bound to happen or simply because they could. Determinism is the idea that all events that take place are inevitable, and everything that happens is bound to happen. It's a core concept in all of science as we aim to predict the behavior of natural systems. Types of Determinism Determinism can be causal, which is a more pragmatic approach to it. Other forms include theological determinism, fate-based determinism, and predeterminism. Theological Determinism These forms of determinism, particularly the theological kind, have implications for concepts like free will and moral accountability, both of which are challenged by the idea of "God's Plan." Theological determinism is the concept that a God either has knowledge of all events that will happen (weak t...