Following contents are based on following assumptions, violations of which will be tremendous problem for our current science stream, and an opening for a new era or force or whatever you want to call it....
:: All forces and laws existing in the world are conservative, definite, and are mutually sane as well.
Now, we know that there is no such thing as randomness in the world. Want an explanation for this. Here it goes....
The laws in the world, like boolean laws, or laws of forces are defined and are definite. If a thing is not existing then it can't exist at the same instance of all possible dimensions. Now, we call something random because we can't see how exactly it is generated. e.g. random number generator in computer, which just runs some form of big counter and outputs the count when some other process is completed. Well, both times are definite. So, theoretically, we should already know what number we are gonna get. In some computer systems, we actually can calculate it as well. So, why is that thing called random? It is because we don't know the laws by which the number is being generated. Right?
Now, when Heisenberg told about his famous uncertainty principle, he made one little comment after that. "we can't predict the future, as we can't predict the present". That is interesting. So, just in case we were able to predict the present, does this mean we could predict the future? Why exactly we can't predict the present? Now, to look closely into this matter, most of us must have heard of something called "least count of an instrument". It tells that beyond this number, this machine can't be more accurate. All machines (except discrete ones) have their least counts. What goes beyond the least count, is beyond us. We sometimes create instruments with lower least count and get more accuracy. But this process has no end. When we say that an arrow hit a bull's eye, what does it mean? It practically means, it has hit at a position, which is at unnoticeable distance from so called center of the target. When this unnoticeable things create problem, it means that we have to make some assumptions. And there starts the concept of randomness.
Now, consider one simple example in books of physics. It is regarding projectile motion of ball thrown. It says that if we know velocity, and position of ball at some time, then we can predict where it's gonna be in future. The only problem is we assume that no other forces are acting on ball except the constant force of gravity. Well, this does sound like a huge assumption to me. Well, here is where we make abstraction. We used to say in early days that matter has least element as "atom". Then it went further to "sub-atomic particles", then towards "strings"...... no ending people. It is just a matter of better and better least count (well, not literally) of our knowledge.
So, we just assume that our laws are true, as there is no way to exactly verify them due to this non-ending process of reducing least count. So, if the laws are actually true, everything that is happening can be predicted, if all forces acting are known at the precise moment. OK, let's forget about predicting something, as it requires knowledge of everything, which is impossible (I mean as of now). But, we can at least say that everything is defined.
Now, extending this argument a little bit to our brains, the content of our brain is some form of atomic particles and maybe some energy in them. All these things are bound by laws ( as per our assumption ). So, due to the predictability of these laws, what we are going to think is also predictable. Rrrrriiiiigggghhhhtttt?????
So, we are just thinking what we are supposed to think now. It is just process like earth is revolving around Sun (Well, a little complex off course ). So, people if you are thinking something about this while reading this, you are supposed to think like that. If you have done something wrong or right in your life, don't be ashamed or proud, as you haven't done anything (Well, the definition of "you" is also pretty ambiguous here). In a way, you are just some programmed machine. You also take inputs like a robot from environment around you (think). And you also make definite decisions like robot does. There are some variables and constant in your program. Everything is as per the laws.
Some people say that the main difference between living and non-living is that living thing has death. I disagree. Death is just transformation of matter. Well, from all this crap written above, my point is this....
"The world is definite but not predictable. So, some definite things are bound to be random for us at any point of time. So, in case you haven't noticed, we are robots who think they are self-governed."
Well, this whole thing above is indeed "assuming all laws". Else, GOD knows what else is there in this world. We maybe actually making decisions on our own. Let's see how time goes, and what we discover about this.
good going ranadeeeeeeeeeee
ReplyDeleteVinit
I tried to find any flaw in the ideas u presented, but I think in some way they are perfect. I will say that millions of present situations or events can interact to give some new situation in future. If we have a knowledge of all these millions of events in present then we can precisely predict the future event. For example the projectile motion u told about, we can predict that where the object in projectile motion will be. But suppose any 2nd object strikes to it in the air then our prediction will be wrong. But if we have knowledge about the present of that 2nd object then we can also take its interaction with the first object into account and our prediction about the future of the 1st object will be right. Now this was just 2 events into account. In actual there will be infinite or may be finite no. of events interacting with each other. If we have the knowledge about the present of all that situations or events then we can predict the future and then nothing will be considered as random then.
ReplyDeleteBut even when nothing is random including the decision we make, nature doesn't allow us to predict the future (not yet). Complexities of our brain is still lower than higher level complexities in nature which makes us to feel that events, decisions or anything is just random.
Anyways, as there is nobody to whom I need to prove all these so I shouldn't consider myself as a robot. (:p)
MYSELF : Vikas Karade (Ameya's friend) :)
That was indeed a nice ending to your comment Vikas :)
ReplyDeletewell written.. but what your argument suggest is that everything is governed by laws and everything is preordained. It's like a scientific experiment whose outcome is known because you know all the rules and forces that are going to act. So whatever happens is destiny. Your actions are already decided in the future. Your thoughts and actions have no spontaneity or originality or meaning.
ReplyDeleteihate to comment on this geeky stuff...
ReplyDeleteanyways, nice blog. It wasn't so long as it seemed. Typical ameya's way to explain something.
still, it was fun reading the arguments and i find no point to contradict. Cheers!
Nice argument,although it's a little lengthy I guess. But I agree with the fact that assuming that if at all the world is solely governed by the laws, the knowledge of all the laws will lead us to predicting actions and thoughts. What if making the laws more and more accurate is a never ending procedure? Just like Newton's law of gravity was made more precise by Einsteins's relativity, does that mean there is a never ending series of more and more accurate laws which implies that we can never know all the laws? If we can't know all the laws, then all the experiments whose laws are not known are random. By definition, only God, who has all the knowledge, faces no randomness but everybody else does ;).
ReplyDeleteThe acquisition of knowledge is the place where uncertainty creeps in.
ReplyDeleteplease throw a little more light on the last para...
ReplyDeleteRegarding last para....
ReplyDeleteIf you think you can draw a line of length sqrt(2) with just a decimal scale... its impossible, as the decimal least count has finite decimal places. But, you can draw it by using right angled triangle easily.
So, indeed the problem of measuring length sqrt(2) seem impossible using decimal scale, but it has some tricky solution. Similarly, for proving or disproving such laws or rules, you may not necessarily need such least count verification at all. So sometimes, we can hope that we will find such "tricky" solution and thus the confusion whether laws are true or not will come to an end.
So, let's see what we discover next....
i dont feel like writing a comment because you would say i was supposed to as i am bound by some law which i wish i could refute :) ... mast likha hai be
ReplyDeleteHad this HUGE discussion with Gogri, Anchit and some others being present. Anchit was of the exact same opinion as you are..Our thoughts, actions are all just chemical reactions subject to different secretion of hormones, caused by difference in each person's living conditions.
ReplyDeleteWhile this theory is complete in itself, it is bound by the domain of basic science.. (in your argument, the basic laws you assumed).. This was the exact same conclusion that we came up with, too..
So, in a way you mean there is no free will.
ReplyDelete