I'm on an icebreaker on my way to do deep-sea research around Antarctica. As part of my grant, I brought a media person with me on the ship. She's running a WhatsApp group with daily updates on what ship life is like and once we reach the ice, what our science is like. I'm having fun reading her posts and thought y'all might enjoy them too. Join at one of these 2 links (different links work better for different people- it's weird, we know!):
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LVJKMq5Mc2hI32334yZdhc
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BZwq4D7FF847sUsxTGTgHY

Hey,

I wanted to share a paradox I am pondering, with people more experienced in mathematics and physics than myself:

You know how the total number of possible card combinations of a deck of 52 cards is factorial 52. This turns out to be an unbelievably large number: 8.06e+67 It's so large that it is far beyond an estimation of number of atoms on earth: 1.3 x 10 to the power of 50.

These are just two silly elements to compare, but in essence they prove that the number of imagined combinations of a set of items, so immensely exceeds the actual number of items, that true randomness cannot exist. Isn't this a mathematical proof, that everything in the world has to follow some kind of order? That laws of nature exist?

With this in mind, it is not possible to imagine a pattern to be completely random. And looking at the ratio of possible combinations vs. actual patterns present in our existence, it is evident that only a microscopic fraction of the possible patterns, actually exist. Even in quite small systems.

Yet, it seems that many concepts of analysis and math are based on the idea that all possible pattern combinations exist. How can this be valid, when it can be mathematically described how all combinations can't possibly exist. There has to be other principles at work here. Principles that actually narrow down the possible number of combinations. Also in seemingly random systems.

Like shuffling a deck of cars and laying them out on a table. It feels random, but it can't really be random. The layout of the cards has to be filled with immense volumes of meaning. The patterns created, have to be loaded with information. Makes you start wondering if those tarot loonies are on to something...