Determinism and contingency

The dichotomy between determinism and contingency is a classic theme in the philosophy of science (see, for example, Atmanspacher and Bishop, 2002) and in this chapter it will be considered only in the restricted framework of the origin of life (see also Luisi, 2003a). 

I will return to the controversy between determinism and contingency in Chapter 4, taking the concrete example of the sequence of biopolymers. 

It has already been mentioned that the origin of homochirality in nature can be viewed in terms of the controversy between determinism and contingency. Is the L form of amino acids determined by some physical law of nature or is it a matter of chance in chemical evolution ... 

More generally, I will try to illustrate the different views on the origin of life and early evolution - notions like determinism and contingency will come into focus. All these scientific views are based on the postulate that life on Earth comes from inanimate matter and a corollary of this postulate is that it might be possible to reconstitute life in the laboratory, at least in some elementary form. The ambition of understanding the prebiotic chemistry leading to the transition to life, and ultimately, to the Faustian dream of making hfe on the workbench, underlies the whole field -and is also the common thread of this book. 

Second Step Determination of the Subcriticality of Normal and Contingency States... 

The three steps of the criticality safety evaluation—contingency analysis, limit determination, and control specification—are presented in a document generally referred to as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation (NCSE) (although some sites separate out the first step into a separate document referred to as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Assessment (NCSA)). Within a given organization or processing site, the structure and format of NCSA/NCSEs are usually strictly proscribed for consistency of development and ease of use. 

Good selling tool to management, and have less chance of disagreement. Determination of contingency and contingency planning. 

This then gives a total risk profile and priorities can be determined for control. Risk control includes the prevention of risks occurring, the avoidance of risk, and contingency plans should undesired events be triggered off by risks (Model 7.9). 

Despite these and similar findings, a wide-sweeping generalization that personality determines driving behavior is too simplified. People do not always behave in strict accordance with their personal tendencies - or personality - but rather in accordance with their personal tendencies and needs and the specific situational demands. Thus, we distinguish between trait and state tendencies. Trait tendencies are relatively stable and pervasive and are associated with what we call personality, and state tendencies are transient and contingent on specific environmental... 

Because most fuel ethanol manufactured ia the United States is made from com, price plays a cmcial role ia determining the competitive position of ethanol ia an open market. With com priced at about 2.50/bu, the embedded feedstock cost of product ethanol is about 0.14—0.23/L ( 0.52—0.87 gal), depending on over-all yield and by-products ignored (125). Euel ethanol plants may have contingency plans to close if com prices rise to a certain level, eg, 3.50/bu or above (126). 

Land. At this point, it should be possible to determine how much land will be required. Do not forget to include things like holding ponds, environmental buffer area, camp facilities, and rights of way or easements. It may be well to allow some contingency in initial cost estimates for land requirement increases, as more definitive design information becomes available. 

Other Utihties - Failure of other uOhties, such as inert gas to seals and pinge systems, or compressed air (when used by the process) may in some cases determine pressure relief requirements. These cases are evaluated on a single contingency failure basis similar to the above. 

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