• Question: Atoms and particles behave in probabilistic ways and our minds are made out of atoms and particles, how can free will exist?

    Asked by to Aled, Ellie, Kev, Willem on 20 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Willem Heijltjes

      Willem Heijltjes answered on 20 Mar 2014:

      Hi tehelement!

      That’s a tough one! But I’ll counter with this: if everything is probabilistic, how could we possibly make a functioning computer, one that computes the right thing most (if not all!) of the time?

      Personally, I don’t think the “probabilistic quantum world” argument has anything to do with free will., because the probabilistic effects are too small to affect the brain in meaningful ways. The chance that, all of a sudden, you are thinking of something else because of quantum effects, is just too small to really happen! 😉

    • Photo: Aled Roberts

      Aled Roberts answered on 20 Mar 2014:

      Hey tehelement

      This is easy to answer (i think, although I might not be right! haha!). Atoms only react in a certain way, however the way they react in their surroundings changes as the surroundings change. Free will exists because our surroundings are always changing and therefore we don’t know what they are doing and how they will affect (if at all) the atoms in us… This makes sense in my head… As willem has said… quantum effects can be too small… they may affect the atom, and the reaction, but not the protein, or the cell which is the next level up, and therefore it will not have the knock on effect you describe?

      Hope that helps! If not… Let me know and I’ll try and explain it better! :p

      P.s. don’t forget to vote

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