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What do you think about computer divination?

august moon

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Just for a lark, I posed a question at http://www.eclecticenergies.com/iching/virtualcoins.php

The resulting hexagrams were useful/relevant (if maybe a little naggy...), but I wonder about the method. I mean, it's kind of like computerized slot machines at a casino. What do you think? What probabilities are programmed into these online cointossers, and does it matter? Can the Yi zip through my fingers on the mouse through the ether to some server somewhere and turn up valid pixels, or not?

Then I thought, I should have some special coins for I Ching. Designated coins. Not just 3 modern pennies which happen to be lying around. Not much more than anodized aluminum, are they? So I looked through my extensive collection of coins to see if I had 3 of anything which appealed to me for this purpose. I have coins from something like 60 countries...I found 3 Mercury head dimes from the 1940s and shined them up nicely. Being silver, they have a very nice "ping" to them when you shake them up in your hands :). However, what I found was that they have a very high percentage of tails turning up. I don't know why. I've also got 3 Hong Kong 20 cent pieces with scalloped edges. I may try those. Don't know what effect the scalloped edges will have.
 
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ewald

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Can the Yi zip through my fingers on the mouse through the ether to some server somewhere and turn up valid pixels, or not?

Actually, I programmed this so, that the Yi is not going to the web server (like with several other online Yijings) to calculate the hexagram and changing lines, but is doing that on your own computer. Technically, the hexagram lines of your reading are determined according to the moment in time you click your mouse, and the state of your computer. The text of the reading is then coming from the web server.

What do you think? What probabilities are programmed into these online cointossers, and does it matter?
I made this so as to mimic the throwing of actual coins as much as possible. The probability of a coin is 1/2 to get heads or tails, as it theoretically is supposed to be. The corresponding hexagram lines are calculated from the state of the coins.
 

august moon

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That is very interesting! So you believe it's all mathematical probabilities, and the "vibes" which may have rubbed off on physical coins or which issue forth from the questioner's own touch/self are not part of the equation?

(Me, I don't know what I believe -- I'm just going along lifting the curtain here and there, by whatever means I can.)
 

ewald

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Well, actually the questioner's vibes do rub off on the virtual coins, by way of the moment in time one clicks the mouse.

There has been paranormal research, where people were guessing random things produced by a computer, without them being able to rub off vibes. They were right more often than probabilities indicated. Apparently, there is no real need to be able to rub off vibes.

When I designed the "virtual coins" it felt better to me that there is some kind of path through which vibes rub off, though. I just don't like to use computerized readings where I can't feel a connection between me and the thing generating the hexagram.
 

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