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What's the difference?What's the difference between this computer game of billiards and the real thing? In this artificial scenario, Newton's laws apply cleanly and perfectly. The balls always move the way they "should". In the real world, there are tiny bumps in the table, spots of grease on the balls, and a million other things to "mess up" perfection....
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This richness through the interaction of all these factors, flukes and unexpected forces is what makes our world interesting and each of us unique. We can't simulate the real world or perfectly predict what will happen because of its huge complexity. At a quantum level, the usual Newtonian laws don't even apply, making prediction impossible. So here's the point. The so-called laws of nature are neat equations that help us describe what happens in a simple way when everything is carefully controlled and within certain boundaries. Scientists know that odd things happen outside the boundaries of these laws and also that within them, nature sometimes uses them to surprising effect. The laws of nature are not a set of bars that restrain God. They're his shorthand notes to set the scene of reality and create a physical space for life to happen.. |