If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons

If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons 610

Posted by kdawson on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:48AM from the hard-to-pin-down dept.

snahgle writes "Mathematicians John Conway (inventor of the Game of Life) and Simon Kochen of Princeton University have proven that if human experimenters demonstrate 'free will' in choosing what measurements to take on a particle, then the axioms of quantum mechanics require that the free will property be available to the particles measured, or to the universe as a whole. Conway is giving a series of lectures on the 'Free Will Theorem' and its ramifications over the next month at Princeton. A followup article strengthening the theory (PDF) was published last month in Notices of the AMS." Update: 03/19 14:20 GMT by KD : jamie points out that we discussed this theorem last year, before the paper had been published.

If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons

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I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

by SirGarlon ( 845873 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:49AM (#27266943)

The universe really IS out to get me!

If particles have free will (Score:5, Funny)

by Shikaku ( 1129753 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:50AM (#27266947)

Then that means that they can impose their will on other particles. In short, one will will the will of particles to impose your will to will other particles in your will to your will.

So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)

by boshhead ( 1357337 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:51AM (#27266961)

So what you're saying is that everything I've screwed up on has really been my fault?

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:3, Funny)

by JustOK ( 667959 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:55AM (#27266993) Journal

Yes sir, President Bush.

Hear that 'whirring' sound? (Score:5, Funny)

by $RANDOMLUSER ( 804576 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @08:57AM (#27267011)

It's John Calvin.

Inevitable (Score:5, Funny)

by Digitus1337 ( 671442 ) writes: <lk_digitus AT hotmail DOT com> on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:01AM (#27267047) Homepage

Someone was sure to arrive at this conclusion.

Obligatory (Score:4, Funny)

by rehtonAesoohC ( 954490 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:03AM (#27267053) Journal

They changed the outcome by measuring it!

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:2, Funny)

by cthulu_mt ( 1124113 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:04AM (#27267063)

Yes sir, President Obama.

Re:Yawn. (Score:5, Funny)

by TapeCutter ( 624760 ) * writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:05AM (#27267079) Journal

Speaking of Adams, a quote from TFA: "Conway is set on explaining to the University community and the public over six weeks the tenets of their 'Free Will Theorem'." 6 x 7days = 42, spooky huh?

Ha! (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:07AM (#27267091)

I *knew* the universe was out to get me.

I thought Rush already said this years ago (Score:4, Funny)

by Dachannien ( 617929 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:14AM (#27267121)

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice!

Put the electrons in jail! (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:19AM (#27267165)

If electrons have free will, we can hold them responsible for their actions. If an electron does something bad we can punish it.
Scientists should stay a mile away from stuff that is, at its heart, a moral question.

Re:If particles have free will (Score:2, Funny)

by tripdizzle ( 1386273 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:24AM (#27267219)

"YO DAWG, I heard you like you some free will, so we put some free will in yo free will so you can choose while you choose."

Re:That's rich. (Score:5, Funny)

by Samrobb ( 12731 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:25AM (#27267227) Journal

Seriously, this whole free will debate is pointless.
Of course, you couldn't help but say that.

No Choice Really... (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:28AM (#27267255)

I have no choice but to believe that I have free will.

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

by Sponge Bath ( 413667 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:41AM (#27267437)

...our mind is a self referencing MATHEMATICAL MODEL of the universe
Hey! Don't bogart that thing, pass it around.

Re:Contraposition (Score:2, Funny)

by O'Nazareth ( 1203258 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:44AM (#27267465)

So I would prefer this title: "If electrons do not have free will, then neither do we."

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:3, Funny)

by Tritoch ( 989763 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:45AM (#27267481) Homepage

Yes sir, Adam. And say "hi" to that freewheeling Eve for me, she always looks sooooo good in her drawings...

Re:Can we have the old Slashdot back? (Score:3, Funny)

by rixster_uk ( 1216414 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @09:53AM (#27267589)

So glad other people are noticing it too .. ... Something to do with this http://www.google.com/trends?q=slashdot.org [google.com] perhaps ? Guess it's the beginning of the end then. Slashdot is dying, and google trends confirms it.

Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @10:11AM (#27267789)

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Hear that 'whirring' sound? (Score:3, Funny)

by $RANDOMLUSER ( 804576 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @10:30AM (#27268071)

But not the elect electrons.

Re:If particles have free will (Score:2, Funny)

by CecilPL ( 1258010 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @11:09AM (#27268593)

Meme nazi?

Re:I don't fret about it. (Score:2, Funny)

by suhock ( 964950 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @11:11AM (#27268623)

If I don't have free will, I can't help worrying about it.

Re:I knew it! (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @11:43AM (#27269133)

There is no such thing as "random" in that sense. "Random" is just a way of saying something lies outside the perceptual/computational capacity of the brain. Everything in the universe is basically deterministic.
The latter is a random assumption.

Re:I choose... (Score:3, Funny)

by Jeremiah Cornelius ( 137 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @11:47AM (#27269203) Homepage Journal

Where does this theory make accommodation for the fact that it's Turtles, all the way down?

Re:Worse yet. (Score:3, Funny)

by genner ( 694963 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @01:27PM (#27270663)

Why worry about crap that better minds than me have been stumbling over for millennia.
Becasue if I'm wrong then I don't have a choice in the matter anyway.

Re:I choose... (Score:2, Funny)

by cekander ( 848307 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @01:42PM (#27270911)

Your diatribe is an artifact of your limits of perception

Re:Mathematicians should not make pronouncements (Score:4, Funny)

by Eli Gottlieb ( 917758 ) writes: <[moc.liamg] [ta] [beilttogile]> on Friday March 20, 2009 @02:34PM (#27271643) Homepage Journal

Hey, Muad'dib, what's going on? How's the Jihad going?

Re:I choose... (Score:5, Funny)

by profplump ( 309017 ) writes: <zach-slashjunk@kotlarek.com> on Friday March 20, 2009 @02:51PM (#27271967)

My computer knows when it's on, when it's sleeping, and when it's about to turn off. Does it have free will too?

Re:Mathematicians should not make pronouncements (Score:3, Funny)

by Jeremiah Cornelius ( 137 ) writes: on Friday March 20, 2009 @03:31PM (#27272559) Homepage Journal

It's a spicy proposition, at the moment...

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If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons 610

If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons More Login

If We Have Free Will, Then So Do Electrons

I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

If particles have free will (Score:5, Funny)

So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:3, Funny)

Hear that 'whirring' sound? (Score:5, Funny)

Inevitable (Score:5, Funny)

Obligatory (Score:4, Funny)

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Yawn. (Score:5, Funny)

Ha! (Score:1, Funny)

I thought Rush already said this years ago (Score:4, Funny)

Put the electrons in jail! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:If particles have free will (Score:2, Funny)

Re:That's rich. (Score:5, Funny)

No Choice Really... (Score:1, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Contraposition (Score:2, Funny)

Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Can we have the old Slashdot back? (Score:3, Funny)

Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Hear that 'whirring' sound? (Score:3, Funny)

Re:If particles have free will (Score:2, Funny)

Re:I don't fret about it. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:I choose... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Worse yet. (Score:3, Funny)

Re:I choose... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Mathematicians should not make pronouncements (Score:4, Funny)

Re:I choose... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Mathematicians should not make pronouncements (Score:3, Funny)

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