Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site talcott.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!harvard!wjh12!talcott!gjk From: gjk@talcott.UUCP (Greg J Kuperberg) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: Re: why FTL is illegal (wrt: free will). Message-ID: <152@talcott.UUCP> Date: Sat, 1-Dec-84 21:58:57 EST Article-I.D.: talcott.152 Posted: Sat Dec 1 21:58:57 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 08:26:32 EST References: <683@gloria.UUCP> <785@ariel.UUCP><148@lems.UUCP> Organization: Harvard Lines: 26 > QM (if you believe it) is that the universe is *fundamentally* random; it > doesn't just appear random because we haven't looked in great enough detail. > > So maybe this fundamental uncertainty is the origin of "free will." > > -les niles 1) QM, if I believe it? That's like saying, "The heliocentric theory, if you believe it." 2) QM is not necessary for your conclusion. All you need is a *non-linear system*. In a non-linear system, the tiniest local deviation can have serious global consequences. It was demonstrated that simply by exciting one neuron in the human brain, one can cause strange sensations and hallucinations. Another example of a highly non-linear system is the weather. Thus some people are saying that accurate long-term forecasts are impossible, because we cannot keep track of every butterfly who flaps his wings, every particle of air that is influenced by brownian motion, etc. This non-linearity is the true cause of free will (if one is not a dualist), rather than QM fluctuations. Even QM fluctuations are boring and statistically predictable in a linear system. --- Greg Kuperberg harvard!talcott!gjk "Eureka!" -Archimedes