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Humans cannot consciously generate random numbers sequences: Polemic study
Małgorzata Figurska1, Maciej Stańczyk, Kamil Kulesza
1Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Swietokrzyska 21, 00-049 Warsaw, Poland. mfigur@ippt.gov.pl
Medical Hypotheses
|September 25, 2007
Summary
This study challenges the idea that humans can consciously generate truly random numbers. Experiments show that human-generated sequences exhibit biases, unlike true randomness found in nature.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Computer Science
- Physics
Background:
- Randomness is a fundamental concept in science, underpinning theories like quantum mechanics.
- Natural phenomena (e.g., radioactive decay) and pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs) are used for random number generation.
- Recent claims suggest humans can consciously produce random sequences, contradicting established understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To rigorously re-evaluate the claim that humans can consciously generate random number sequences.
- To investigate the quality of randomness in human-generated sequences compared to established methods.
- To explore the implications of findings for computer science and other fields.
Main Methods:
- Replication of experiments investigating human random number generation.
- Emphasis on strict laboratory procedures to ensure data integrity.
- Analysis of generated sequences for statistical biases and randomness quality.
Main Results:
- Human-generated number sequences display detectable biases.
- The observed biases deviate from the properties of true randomness.
- Findings contrast with recent claims of conscious human randomness generation.
Conclusions:
- The ability of humans to consciously generate truly random numbers is questionable.
- Pseudorandom number generators and natural phenomena remain more reliable sources.
- Further research is needed to understand the cognitive processes involved in number sequence generation.
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