Deterministic Computation

Full Title

Determinism in the computation of a result is a fundamental thesis of computer science, but must be viewed as a aspirational, but unachievable goal.

Context

The human species currently thrives better with randomness in nature than any other land animal. Other have survived the vicissitudes of nature by finding niche environments where they can hide, but humans have survived in disparate climates by discovering means by which to adapt to change. A Harvard Business Review put it this way

The success of Homo sapiens was no fluke. The greatly enlarged brain of the species made survival in the unpredictable environment of Africa’s vast Savannah Plain possible. Much of that brain’s programming was already in place, an inheritance from prehuman ancestors. But eventually, thanks to natural selection, other “circuits” developed, specifically those that helped human beings survive and reproduce as clan-living hunter-foragers.<\blockquote>

References