Probabilistic nature of universe? What do we know so far?

[vlaiv]

Let's consider following idealized experiment.

Hydrogen atom is in excited state, placed in center of "detector" sphere. Atom emits photon at some point in time. Somewhere on detector sphere there is a detection of a photon. As I understand it, photon "moves" (not even sure if photon moves, since from photon's point of view no time passes between emission and absorption and there is no definitive path) as an expanding sphere (at least this is my assumption how time evolution of wavefunction would look like) until there is collision event. QM gives us probability of detection at certain sector of detector sphere.

What does our current understanding say about possibility of collision not being random? For example, due to thermal oscillations of detector atoms at the time that photon was emitted one of atoms in detector was in "perfect" position for collision by some criteria. Or even further, time at which photon was emitted corresponds with receiving atom being in state that would evolve in "receiving" state in time that takes photon to reach it.

Pardon my ignorance, I have no formal training in physics, only healthy dose of curiosity.

Reasoning behind question is following:

By means of preparing certain conditions we can skew probability distribution. Maybe probability way of looking at things is masking our ignorance of the state of system? Not in a sense of entanglement and hidden variables, but rather as a consequence of some previous entanglement. In some way emitting atom has a certain level of coherence (or perhaps better term would be coherence residue, from previous interactions) with all atoms in detector that determines which one will participate in interaction? And of course we have "spooky action at the distance" maybe allowing for photon to be emitted at the right (we perceive it as random) moment for specific interaction to occur.

Does any of this make any sense?