Do Dice Play God?

Stewart explains chaos theory to an audience apparently unfamiliar with it. As the book
progresses, the writing changes from simple explanations of chaos theory to in-depth, rigorous
mathematical study. Stewart covers mathematical concepts such as differential
equations, resonance, nonlinear dynamics, and probability. The book is illustrated with diagrams
and graphs of mathematical concepts and equations when applicable.

"The science of chaos is forcing scientists to rethink Einstein's fundamental assumptions

regarding the way the universe behaves. Chaos theory has already shown that simple systems,
obeying precise laws, can nevertheless act in a random manner. Perhaps God plays dice within
a cosmic game of complete law and order. Does God Play Dice? reveals a strange universe in
which nothing may be as it seems. Familiar geometric shapes such as circles and ellipses give
way to infinitely complex structures known as fractals, the fluttering of a butterfly's wings can
change the weather, and the gravitational attraction of a creature in a distant galaxy can change
the fate of the solar system."

We would like to believe we can know things for certain. We want to be able to figure out who
will win an election, if the stock market will crash, or if a suspect definitely committed a crime.
But the odds are not in our favor. Life is full of uncertainty --- indeed, scientific advances indicate
that the universe might be fundamentally inexact --- and humans are terrible at guessing. When
asked to predict the outcome of a chance event, we are almost always wrong.

Albert Einstein believed that God does not play dice with the Universe; that the world in which
we live is governed by precise laws rather than chance. The branch of mathematics popularly
known as Chaos Theory clarifies the question through a new paradox: precise laws may offer
the appearance of randomness. As a result, our cherished beliefs about determinism,
predictability, and complexity are back in the melting-pot.

When Einstein's Theory of Relativity achieved public recognition, most people interpreted it as
saying that 'everything is relative', a comfortable philosophy that, for example, justifies the rich
ignoring the poor on the grounds that others are yet poorer. Actually, that's not what Einstein
was saying at all: he was telling us that the speed of light is not relative, but absolute. Really, it
should have been named the Theory of Non-relativity.
I think something similar has happened to Chaos Theory in the public mind. People are taking it
to mean that 'everything is random', and some are using that to justify economic or ecological
mismanagement. How unfair, for example, to blame the Chancellor of the Exchequer for not
controlling inflation or unemployment, when 'everyone knows' that these are subject to random
influences out of the Chancellor's control!

Thankfully, there is hope. Over the course of history, mathematics has given us some of the tools
we need to better manage the uncertainty that pervades our lives. From forecasting, to medical
research, to figuring out how to win Let's Make a Deal, Do Dice Play God? is a surprising and
satisfying tour of what we can know, and what we never will.

Do dice play god? Does chaos reign supreme? No, because within a chaotic context it may be
possible for negentropes to emerge. If they do, then by their nature they will not go away again,
and once they exist they will tend to become more complex and more organised. Conversely, a
population of negentropes, however organised it may be, can in turn become the context for a
new kind of chaos: that's classic Chaos Theory, determinism implies randomness! Neither order
nor chaos can win the game once and for all, because by doing so it would change the game to
favour its opponent.

But Chaos Theory doesn't offer that sort of excuse at all, because its message is far more
complex than the popular image: some things behave predictably, some don't; some things
that we think we understand may behave in very funny ways; some things that appear
random may obey laws we haven't yet spotted; and most things don't fit into any of these
categories at all!