# The Meaning of "Random"

**URL:** https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-meaning-of-random/1738
**Category:** Side Conversation
**Created:** [September 20, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-meaning-of-random/1738 "2018-09-20T14:49:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 32

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### Author: ![PdotdQ](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/pdotdq/32/1248_2.png) [@PdotdQ](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/PdotdQ)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-meaning-of-random/1738/32 "2018-09-21T04:04:57Z")

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> [@swamidass](#):
>
> We don’t know yet, do we? As I understand it, collapse can still be explained by a Bohmian mechanics. There have been some very interesting experimental results on this recently too, out of MIT I think. So it is possible there is a hidden deterministic process governing collapse, right?

Yes, but for Bohmian mechanics to be true we need to give up locality. This is not easy for a physicist to give up - perhaps even harder than determinism. Further, the relativistic generalization of Bohmian mechanics relies on an unobservable preferred frame - which in its own way runs contrary to the spirit of relativity. The field theory generalization (to bring QM-\>QFT) as I understand it is not fully understood and is still a topic of active research.

> [@swamidass](#):
>
> Regardless, even if there is not, it might still be deterministic from God’s point of view.

If one can even define a notion of determinism for a being outside of time like God, I suppose this could be true.

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