Wow - what a great discussion and I missed it completely.
Strangely I am somewhat open minded on this one - as in I flick from one side to the other depending on....mood I guess.
I suppose the real question is could you produce a model of the universe in its entirety - given enough data and processing power that would mimic the actions of the universe to date?
This is not a predictive issue - as yet - but one that would show what has happened.
The first question in creating such a model would be the start point. I am quite taken with Professor Krauss "universe from nothing" hypothesis. That appears to be based on the idea that nothing(ness) is unstable in a quantum model and sub-particles randomly appear all the time.
As there is no indication that the formation of a universe from that point has to follow any given path until such time as the universal constant is determined (can that vary from one universe to another - at appears that it can - theoretically).
If we were to start from the big bang then modelling should be possible - within limits.
Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the accuracy of Pi as a limiting factor for a model. This is a decent example - and one of many. This could create a cumulative effect throughout the model that would lead to wild divergence with reality over time.
Further - taking the number of waves, particles and sub-particles in the universe and the number of possible pathways for any or all of them along with the various possible interactions between them we may well tend towards the infinite in terms of some of our calculations for the model.
A single infinite in the model and the thing fails.
Basically as I stated I am open minded on this one. If free will is an illusion it is a strong one and with such a complex system of in-differentiable from the real thing.
Strangely I am somewhat open minded on this one - as in I flick from one side to the other depending on....mood I guess.
I suppose the real question is could you produce a model of the universe in its entirety - given enough data and processing power that would mimic the actions of the universe to date?
This is not a predictive issue - as yet - but one that would show what has happened.
The first question in creating such a model would be the start point. I am quite taken with Professor Krauss "universe from nothing" hypothesis. That appears to be based on the idea that nothing(ness) is unstable in a quantum model and sub-particles randomly appear all the time.
As there is no indication that the formation of a universe from that point has to follow any given path until such time as the universal constant is determined (can that vary from one universe to another - at appears that it can - theoretically).
If we were to start from the big bang then modelling should be possible - within limits.
Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the accuracy of Pi as a limiting factor for a model. This is a decent example - and one of many. This could create a cumulative effect throughout the model that would lead to wild divergence with reality over time.
Further - taking the number of waves, particles and sub-particles in the universe and the number of possible pathways for any or all of them along with the various possible interactions between them we may well tend towards the infinite in terms of some of our calculations for the model.
A single infinite in the model and the thing fails.
Basically as I stated I am open minded on this one. If free will is an illusion it is a strong one and with such a complex system of in-differentiable from the real thing.
