The Challenge of Chance : : A Multidisciplinary Approach from Science and the Humanities.

• Superior document: The Frontiers Collection
• Author: Landsman, Klaas.
• TeilnehmendeR: van Wolde, Ellen.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2016.; ©2016.
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: The Frontiers Collection
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (274 pages)

Table of Contents

Intro -- Contents -- About the Editors -- 1 Introduction -- Abstract -- 1 Contents of This Book: Addressing the Challenge -- 2 A Transdisciplinary Perspective on Chance -- Acknowledgement -- 2 Conceptual and Historical Reflections on Chance (and Related Concepts) -- Abstract -- 1 Etymological Prelude -- 1.1 Dice and Other Falling Objects -- 1.2 Fortuna, Wheels and the Lottery -- 1.3 Randomness and Reckoning with Fortune -- 2 History -- 2.1 Greek Origins -- 2.2 Aristotle -- 2.3 The Ancient Atomists -- 2.4 On Divination and Providence -- 2.5 Boethius -- 2.6 Late Medieval Views on Chance -- 2.7 Chance, Necessity and Design in a Mechanistic Universe -- 2.8 Hume's Critique of the Argument from Design -- 2.9 From Natural History to Darwinism -- 2.10 Laplace's Determinism, Statistical Regularity and the New Physical Randomness -- 3 A Conclusion ex negativo -- References -- The Mathematical Foundations of Randomness -- 1 Introduction -- 2 What Is Randomness? -- 3 Can Randomness Be Defined? -- 4 Computability Theory -- 5 Kolmogorov Complexity -- 6 Martin-Löf Randomness -- 7 Martingales -- 8 Randomness and Provability -- 9 Other Notions of Randomness -- 10 Pseudorandom Number Generators and Complexity Theory -- 11 Applications -- References -- 4 Randomness and the Madness of Crowds -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Super-Humans Against Nature and the Rationality Assumption -- 2.1 A Single Random Event -- 2.2 Repeated Random Events -- 2.3 Risk Preferences -- 3 Super-Humans Against Super-Humans -- 4 Humans Against Humans -- 4.1 Bounded Rationality -- 4.2 Beliefs -- 4.3 Speculation -- 5 The Madness of Crowds -- 5.1 Luck Versus Skill -- 5.2 No Free Lunch \varvec{\ne} the Price Is Right -- 5.3 From Mispricing to Madness -- 6 Conclusion -- References -- 5 Randomness and the Games of Science -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Randomness in Science.

3 The Likelihood of Irreproducible Research -- 4 The Dialogue with the Critic -- 5 Publishing -- 6 Speaking About Uncertainty -- References -- 6 The Fine-Tuning Argument: Exploring the Improbability of Our Existence -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Evidence for Fine-Tuning -- 3 General Arguments -- 4 Critiquing the Inference of Design from Fine-Tuning -- 5 Critiquing the Inference of a Multiverse from Fine-Tuning -- 6 Conclusion -- Acknowledgement -- References -- 7 Chance in the Hebrew Bible: Views in Job and Genesis 1 -- Abstract -- 1 The Prologue of the Book of Job: Chance as a Wager -- 2 Dialogue in the Book of Job: Chance as Proof of Moral Balance -- 3 God's Answer "Out of the Whirlwind" -- 4 Chance in the Book of Job -- 5 From Narrative to Philosophy -- 6 From Philosophy Back to Narrative: Genesis 1 -- 7 Worldview in the Hebrew Bible -- 8 Genesis 1:1-3 -- 9 The Framework of Non-Linearity in Genesis 1 -- 10 The Non-linear Arrangement in Genesis 1 and the Concept of Chance -- 11 Conclusion: Views on Chance in Job and Genesis 1 -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 8 Happiness and Invulnerability from Chance: Western and Eastern Perspectives -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Ancient Greek Philosophy as a Way of Life: The Pursuit of Happiness -- 3 Immunising Against Luck: Ancient Greek Approaches -- 4 A Christian Perspective: The Myth of the Fall -- 5 The Asian Buddhist Perspective: Karma Rather than (Bad) Luck -- 6 Protection Against Luck: West and East -- References -- 9 The Experience of Coincidence: An Integrated Psychological and Neurocognitive Perspective -- Abstract -- 1 Prelude -- 2 Introduction -- 3 The Psychology of Coincidence -- 3.1 Cognitive Biases and Predictive Models -- 3.2 Context and Model Adjustment -- 3.3 Individual Differences and Precision -- 4 Predictive Coding and Coincidence -- 5 Conclusions -- References.

10 When Chance Strikes: Random Mutational Events as a Cause of Birth Defects and Cancer -- Abstract -- 1 Fascination -- 2 Divinity and Sorcery -- 3 Maternal Impressions -- 4 Infections and Teratogens -- 5 Inherited Factors -- 6 De Novo Mutations in Human Genetic Disease -- 7 The Randomness of Mutations -- 8 Why Mutations Happen -- 9 Can We Prevent Mutations? -- 10 Accepting Risks -- 11 Are Mutations a Necessary Part of Our Existence? -- 12 Conclusion -- References -- 11 Chance, Variation and the Nature of Causality in Ecological Communities -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction: The Fascinating Complexity of Ecosystems -- 2 Example 1: Explaining the Maintenance of Species Diversity -- 2.1 Coexistence Theory: Species Differ in Niches -- 2.2 Natural Enemies as Niche-Axes: The Janzen-Connell Hypothesis -- 2.3 Coexistence Through Intransitive Competition and Rock-Paper-Scissor Games -- 2.4 Tests with Bacterial Communities: Rock-Paper-Scissor Dynamics Is not Enough for Stable Coexistence -- 2.5 Global Stability in Hyper-Diverse Plant Communities Consistent with Local Rock-Paper-Scissor Dynamics -- 2.6 Global Stability Through Neutral Dynamics if Species Are Demographically Equal -- 2.7 Coexistence Mechanisms May Result in Unpredictable Dynamics -- 2.8 Conclusion: The Interplay Between Scale-Dependent Predictable and Unpredictable Patterns in Community Dynamics -- 3 Example 2: Understanding Species Population Trends -- 3.1 Species Survive in Metapopulations with a High Incidence of Chance Effects -- 3.2 Farmland Birds: Understanding Population Trends -- 3.3 Mastering Chance Effects at Local Scale to Explain Global Trends -- 3.4 Understanding Causality: A Comparison with Epidemiology -- 4 Epilogue -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 12 The Size of History: Coincidence, Counterfactuality and Questions of Scale in History -- Abstract.

1 Introduction: Coincidence and Comparisons -- 2 Contingency, Causality and Counterfactuality -- 3 Coincidence and the Construction of a Clear Course of History -- 4 Coincidence, Big History and Accidental Cause -- 5 Coincidence and Cliodynamics -- 6 Coincidence as an Interpretative Tool? -- Acknowledgment -- References -- 13 Accidental Harm Under (Roman) Civil Law -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Sources of Obligation Under Roman and Modern Law -- 3 Accidental Harm Under Roman Tort Law and Subsequent Criticism -- 4 Accidental Harm Under Roman Contract Law -- 5 Accidental Harm in the Case of Negotiorum Gestio -- 6 Other Meanings of 'Casus' in the Roman Sources -- 7 Brief Interlude: 'Casus' Under Roman Criminal Law -- 8 Accidental Harm Under Modern Private Law -- 9 Concluding Observations -- References -- 14 Taming Chaos. Chance and Variability in the Language Sciences -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Field -- 3 Linguistic Typology: Chance and Variability in the Constitution of Languages -- 3.1 L'arbitraire du signe -- 3.2 Iconicity -- 3.3 Dependencies -- 4 Variationist Linguistics: Chance in Production and Perception -- 5 Chance: Conundrum or Inherent Property? -- References -- Biographies -- Titles in this Series.