> Free-willing (or is it -weeling? :) friends, Hi, I assume you meant -wheeling.
> ---------------- > Harry, >>> When quantum mechanics appeared the spirit had to accept that there >>> is a LIST of possible ways the universe could unfold. However, even if >>> this list >>> is infinitely long it still means that certain possibilities will be >>> OFF the >>> list, other wise it could not be a predictive theory! > > Yes. And interestingly, the possibilities which are off the list (zero > probability) can be very exactly defined in some experiments, as can > be seen by entering a large number e.g. 100000 and hitting the "More" > button repeatedly in this nice double slit applet: > > http://www.ianford.com/dslit/ > > Selecting, at the other extreme, one particle per shot will yield, > after a proportionately larger number of shots, the very same fringe > pattern, and that's what actually happens in experiments. And that's > where QM beats any classical or neoclassical theory with both hands > tied behind its back! > ---------------- > Jones, it's not nice to have published the blueprints of my brain ;-) > BTW I didn't see multiple definitions of free will in the WP article, > nor did I see much useful information there. Philosophy should be left > to scientists, as the name says and as it was in the early days! > ---------------- > Mauro, I suspect that your concept that conscience is not > physico-mechanical will be laughed at heartily by your desktop > computer in 2042, date at which it will have as many logical gates as > a human brain according to Moore's law (IIRC). Well, we don't need to wait that longer. We already know that certain phenomena are simply not contained within the framework of classical mechanics, due to its stochastic nature. So, for computers or machines to be able to achieve conscience, they'll have to be built in a way which allows stochastic processes to occur in their circuits. That is, they'll have to be capable of non-deterministic behavior. I certainly think that that is possible, and a machine like that will be probably made one day. That day, those machines will achieve not only conscience, but also free will. What remains to be seen is what drastic decisions they'll probably take when aware of their origins, reality and planned destiny. The literature abounds in speculations on this subject, "2001 Space Odyssey" being one of the classical (and better) examples. Best regards, Mauro > > Michel > >
