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Comment Re:This might be what proves Free Will exists (Score 1) 16

Even that hypothetical experiment may be insufficient, as many such as Kurt Gödel have observed.

What part of Gödel's work do you mean? His Incompleteness Theorem? Because that's not relevant.

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem reveals that axiomatic systems cannot, within themselves, reveal all true statements via proof-arguments: being true is a broader category than being provable.

I'm talking about how we cannot determine whether an individual can make more than one free choice under given pre-choice starting-conditions because you cannot duplicate the identical pre-choice starting-conditions in order to find out.

Simply making the same exact choice every time, does not mean that it isn't a choice. Perfectly predictable behavior does not contradict free will, just as random or chaotic behavior does not indicate free will.

So, you're saying my "test" for free will (assuming we could carry it out, which I claim we can't) could fail to show free will, even if it exists, if a person chooses the same thing every time. In that situation, I would say you cannot tell the difference between someone with free will who always chooses the same thing and someone without free will who in fact has no option but to choose the same thing. And again, we're back to being unable to show the existence of free will.

As I said, I don't think there is a way to settle the question of whether one actually has a choice. And I'm not hearing you say there is one either. Claiming that predictable behavior does not rule out choice does nothing to support the existence of such a choice.

Comment Re:This might be what proves Free Will exists (Score 4, Interesting) 16

Forgive my rewording of your post: you appear to claim that non-quantum physics is essentially deterministic and therefore does not support the concept of free will, whereas quantum mechanics proposes an uncertainty in the universe that may be fundamental, and thus supports free will.

I'm a physicist, not a philosopher. This discussion mostly is in the philosopher's bailiwick. So, with that disclosure, let's move on.

Compatibilists are those who reconcile determinism with free will by claiming that a person has free will even if their mental state is the consequence of deterministic processes. This sounds as though they claim free will is an illusion, but our legal system demands that people take responsibility for their actions, so perhaps we're forced to accept this illusion.

However, non-deterministic quantum theory does not necessarily support free will. The strictest non-deterministic interpretation that I know of is the Copenhagen interpretation, which states that a system does not have definite physical properties until it is measured. The mind could make measurements of the external world and still be induced to follow certain patterns as a consequence of them. The initial uncertainty may again present the illusion of free will without it actually being present.

In the end, free will is something that may be impossible to prove is present, because that would require that you could make more than one distinct choice from exactly the same initial conditions, and you cannot conduct such an experiment, because any attempt to offer the same choice more than once could not hide the history of prior choices.

Comment Re:He can move on, can't he? (Score 1) 83

Interesting. Is he really counting on his wife's resuscitation, or is he just a widower with baggage?

I wonder whether the "utilitarian" perspective he has now will fade over time. He's being a bit of a dick right now, but if his new partner is okay with it, then I'm not sure we can argue.

WTF dating app is this guy using. Profile:
"I'm looking for a utilitarian relationship because my gout is terrible, and I want a nurse with benefits who I can do as I wish with"

I didn't see anything about his dating profile in TFA, so I assume that's your speculation.

Comment He can move on, can't he? (Score 4, Insightful) 83

Cryogenics preserved his late wife's body. It did not guarantee that she could be resuscitated. I doubt she can anyway. Even if she could, how long would he have to wait for it to be possible? Would he even live long enough to see the technology created?

In short, his wife is dead. Let him get back on the market.

Comment Re:Good news for the mullahs: Alah exists (Score 1) 36

You ignored what I wrote.

You (essentially) said all religions are cults and all cults are religions, by wrapping them in circular definitions. I claim that not all religions are cults, and not all cults are religions.

Religions are like clubs. There are certain rules you need to follow in order to join. A religion (or any other organization) is a cult when those rules become abusive. The BITE model identifies what sorts of rules might be identified as abusive. The point at which you consider a group to be a cult is somewhat personal, but usually happens when you consider the collection of apparently abusive characteristics to pass a threshold you decide on.

You pointed out some existing religions as having cult-like characteristics. I agree that the Church of Scientology is a cult, and that the Church of Mormon certainly shows some cult-like aspects -- particularly with its strict rules on tithing, missionary work, behavioral restrictions, control of access to worship spaces to those deemed worthy, and so on. However, those are just two examples. There are plenty of religious groups that don't apply that kind of control on their members, allow them to leave the organization if they wish and suffer no exit-cost, and generally provide fellowship and encouragement, not punishment and judgement.

And there are plenty of cults that are not religions. They can be: political; self-improvement, therapy, or personal-development organizations; pyramid-marketing schemes; and so on.

And for the record, I'm not religious. I just object to painting groups with a broad brush.

Comment Re:Writing is kinda useful (Score 1) 245

As someone who has illegible handwriting, it's what saved me in college.

I hope you never turned in a handwritten essay.

I used to grade such things. Any paper with bad handwriting was an absolute horror. It did not save the author from a poor grade.

I could remember what I wrote but I couldn't go back and study from it.

At the very least, you should be able to read your own handwriting. If not, you are a Lost Boy.

Comment Re:"ALI" of it? (Score 2) 88

Does a neutron with spin one way annihilate a neutron with a spin the other way if they collide (or in the same nucleus?)

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: two neutrons that collide will just bounce off each other (if the energy is low enough) or create new particles (if the energy is high enough.) But in both cases, the net spin will not change, because spin is intrinsic angular momentum, which is conserved.

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