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by millstone 2750 days ago
The article argues that "randomness" (by which it means essential unpredictability) is experimentally backed. This is an awkward constraint for a universe designer: isn't a totally deterministic universe much easier and simpler?

Free will has no room to survive in a clockwork universe. But free will remains a viable position, despite the philosophical contortions, but supported by experimental evidence like what's discussed here. And that seems like an argument in itself, right? It ain't come this far...
4 comments
jessriedel 2750 days ago
Why would randomness leave more room for free will? It's random.
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mar77i 2750 days ago
> Free will has no room to survive in a clockwork universe.

Reminds me of this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1TVZIBj7UA

Effects of electromagnetic waves you emit will appear random to you, even if you produce a rather orderly amount (and distribution) of them. Did the universe take away with no reason? Well, it did go and drained off a good portion of your emitted energy because of the many places they go and the many effects they can have. I'm not entirely sure what I'm trying to say here, I just think the actual pipes through which you send information (waves) in this universe are quite a mess, and that's probably being gentle.

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mirimir 2750 days ago
> This is an awkward constraint for a universe designer: isn't a totally deterministic universe much easier and simpler?

Huh? Maybe it's natural selection, all the way down, and all the way up. The results aren't at all "random", but they're also not at all designed.

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joycian 2750 days ago
I think he means it would be expensive to inject randomness all the time instead of just letting a rule-based system go from state to state deterministically.
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mirimir 2750 days ago
OK, except why are you putting it in those terms?

It just is what it is. There's no reason to think that stuff evolves in the least-expensive way.

And there are rules. What we call laws of physics. It's just that there's lots of wiggle room. At least, if you're lucky enough.

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naasking 2750 days ago
> Free will has no room to survive in a clockwork universe

Incorrect, see Compatibilism. In fact, free will as a concept is incoherent without some degree of determinism.

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