META: The problem of "Good vs. Evil"

[Martin Phipps]

On Feb 19, 4:05 pm, Jamas Enright <t... at eyrie.org> wrote:

> (No, I'm not saying we are in a deterministic universe, quantum theory
> proves that false.

Actually, it doesn't.  Quantum mechanics only deals with the apparent
randomness that appears to exist before a system is measured.  It
doesn't address directly the question of how a system would time
develop if no measurement occurs.  Does Schrodinger's cat (who really
did love him) remain in a state of randomly being dead or undead for
until then end of time unless Schrodinger opens the box?  Of course
not.  And the universe as a whole is a closed system (assuming it
doesn't interact with other universes) so quantum mechanics actually
predicts that the universe as a whole is deterministic.  As my physics
professor says "the lack of predictability in quantum mechanical
measurements does not imply that quantum mechanical system are non-
determistic when left alone".  A recent issue of New Scientist goes
further: it shows that the variable of time can be removed from
quantum mechanics, thus eliminating one hurdle to be overcome in
forming a grand unified theory of the universe (including general
relativity in which the dimension of time convolutes with the
dimensions of space).  It seems that Stephen Hawking's idea that the
arrow of time is determined by the second law of thermodynamics has
been made more robust so that it now appears as though the entire
universe is time developing according to this law.  (The second law
states that entropy is always increasing with time; this new
formulation implies that time itself is a consequence of the second
law.)

To be blunt, the past is what we remember and the future is what we
assume hasn't happened yet and therefore is subject to change.  What
if it isn't?

> So far, the only scientist-type person I've seen wholeheartedly embrace
> the lack of free will is Dr. Susan Blackmorehttp://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_8.html#blackmore

If the universe is deterministic then there can't be any free will.
Google "information theory".  Information theory states that
information is conserved (meaning information cannot be created or
destroyed, only transformed).  If information is conserved then the
universe is deterministic (because if the ammount of information that
exists now is the same that existed at the beginning of time then the
universe as a whole is in a deterministic time developing quantum
state).  If the universe is deterministic then there is no free will.
I really wish there was free will because if I had had free will I
wouldn't have spent my entire afternoon online instead of preparing my
course syllabi.  (Joking).

Martin