Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!fortune!rpw3 From: rpw3@fortune.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Quantum mechanics and free will... - (nf) Message-ID: <2704@fortune.UUCP> Date: Wed, 7-Mar-84 04:05:51 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.2704 Posted: Wed Mar 7 04:05:51 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 8-Mar-84 07:49:34 EST Sender: notes@fortune.UUCP Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 26 #R:umcp-cs:-571900:fortune:21900012:000:923 fortune!rpw3 Mar 6 22:19:00 1984 Uhh... Digital computers are not all that deterministic. Get a local hardware wizard to explain about Heisenberg Uncertainty and the "metastable problem" in synchronizers. (Synchronizers are the gadgets that have to make decisions as to whether something happened or not.) Quantum effects show up in many places in modern semiconductor logic. MOST of the time they can be ignored, but... Given that neurons have to make the same sorts of decisions as computer synchronizers (whether to fire or not), it seems that we should not be surprised to discover nondeterminacy in human "consciousness" (whatever that is!). Heisenberg + decisionmaking => SchroedingerCats (And I am NOT talking about the "alpha particle" problem. That's still another hassle.) Rob Warnock UUCP: {sri-unix,amd70,hpda,harpo,ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!rpw3 DDD: (415)595-8444 USPS: Fortune Systems Corp, 101 Twin Dolphins Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065