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A comment on Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept. Parent comment

Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by RandomLensman on Wednesday July 15, 2026 @02:27AM (#48916973)
My point was that we cannot predict which atom decays next.

If you want to claim that we could predict which specific atom decays next, I'd really like to see a lot more explaintion and exposition as it would upend current understanding.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by GoblinSlayer on Wednesday July 15, 2026 @11:40AM (#48922529)
The trick is that you can't predict something that doesn't happen even if you feel otherwise.
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Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by RandomLensman on Wednesday July 15, 2026 @12:52PM (#48923698)
Atoms don't decay? Radioactive decay isn't a thing?

But at least we agree there is nothing we can predict.

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Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by GoblinSlayer on Thursday July 16, 2026 @06:59AM (#48932849)
We can predict decay process as

sqrt(1-exp(-t/T))|1> + sqrt(exp(-t/T))|0>

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Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by RandomLensman on Thursday July 16, 2026 @07:42AM (#48933177)
I give you ten atoms of Po210, you tell me which one will be next to turn into Pb206. What's your algorithm to do that?
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Re:Computation as a Universal and Fundamental Concept by GoblinSlayer on Thursday July 16, 2026 @11:58AM (#48936311)
My algorithm is at least to not predict it as not what it is. All ten atoms decay according to the formula above.
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