Can Free Will be Saved in a Deterministic Universe?
Summary
PBS Space Time explores the tension between physical determinism and free will, examining Laplace’s demon and the block universe. The hosts analyze how quantum mechanics, specifically information conservation and the uncertainty principle, complicates the idea of a fully predictable future. They argue that while hard determinism may negate free will, the inherent unpredictability of quantum events and the complexity of brain processing allow for functional definitions of agency. The episode concludes that the question is often poorly posed, suggesting we can reasonably attribute free will t…
Topics discussed
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Introduction: Physics and Free Will
Determinism and Laplace's Demon
Quantum Mechanics and Predictability
Conservation of Quantum Information
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Defining Free Will in a Block Universe
The Impossibility of New Information
Limits of Measurement and Heisenberg
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Brain Prediction and Neural Randomness
Many Worlds vs. Singular Futures
Emergent Phenomena and Mechanism
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Conclusion: The Semantic Nature of Free Will
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