Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site lems.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!harvard!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!lems!ltn From: ltn@lems.UUCP (Les Niles) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: why FTL is illegal (wrt: free will). Message-ID: <148@lems.UUCP> Date: Fri, 30-Nov-84 08:58:19 EST Article-I.D.: lems.148 Posted: Fri Nov 30 08:58:19 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 08:25:39 EST References: <683@gloria.UUCP> <785@ariel.UUCP>Reply-To: ltn@lems.UUCP (Les Niles) Organization: lems Lines: 20 In article djsalomon@watdaisy.UUCP (Daniel J. Salomon) writes: > >Free will versus determinism is an ancient unresolved theological >problem. "If God knows the future how can we change it with our free >will." There is a scientific equivalent of this paradox. "If the >current positions of particles and the elementary forces determine the >paths and future positions of particles then how can an intelligent >being make a decision that changes those paths and affects the real >world." When this question is answered, we will know "the meaning of >life, the universe and everything." But quantum mechanics did away with this possibility. The central idea of 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