Definition of a Superstitious Behavior: Accidentally or unintentionally reinforced behavior where a behavior is reinforced but the reinforcement
occurred by random chance instead of in accordance with a specific contingency.
In a new study published in Nature, researchers in these two academic fields have joined forces at the University of Pennsylvania to solve an essential problem of how languages evolve: determining whether language changes
occur by random chance or by a selective force.
Not exact matches
For example, in criticising Dawkins, he points out that «If every step in the series [of evolution]
occurs by chance... the end can not be ordered», apparently unaware that Dawkins does not view evolution as entirely
random, but allows for a certain direction, provided
by the mechanism of natural selection (p. 51).
What the argument
by probability does is to reflect on the «fine - tunedness» of a universe in which life can exist, reflects on the
chance of life
occurring through purely
random events, and concludes that the
chance of life coming into existence through purely
random forces of nature is so infinitesimally small as to be almost non-existent.
But since both colonoscopy and appendicitis are common things, the question became: is there a real correlation here, or are these two
random events that were just
occurring together
by chance?»
The cost of retirement, also known as the stochastic (or
random) present value of retirement, was the actual cost of paying for a given income in retirement when the unknown variables of longevity and asset returns were allowed to
occur by chance.