On 9/2/2013 8:24 AM, John Clark wrote:
On Sun, Sep 1, 2013 Telmo Menezes <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> Free will is related to the issue of determinism -- could a very powerful
computer
precisely predict my
future behaviour?
Yes, but only if the computer didn't tell me what it predicted beforehand, because then
the computer's actions would effect my actions; and the computer can predict my actions
but it can't predict its own.
I don't see that the computer predicting your action at t1 and telling you the prediction
at t0<t1 requires that the computer be able to predict its own actions. Suppose the
computer predicts, "In a few seconds you're going to run from this room, because I'm going
to detonate a bomb in it." It will probably be right, but it didn't have to predict
anything about it's actions.
And in many cases a computer can predict its own actions (assuming no randomness or
external inputs). Godel only said it can't always predict its action.
Brent
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