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Freedom Sciences

שו”תCategory: philosophyFreedom Sciences
asked 2 years ago

Hello Rabbi.
I read “The Science of Freedom” very carefully. About a decade has passed since the book was published.
I would love to know, are there any new discoveries in neuroscience that change the book’s conclusions?
Also, are there any new physical discoveries that change this?

For example, one of the astrophysicists I spoke with about the book referred me to the 2022 Nobel Prize winner who discovered that there are no loopholes in quantum theory.
Here is a link to a popular summary of the award:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-universe-is-not-locally-real-and-the-physics-nobel-prize-winners-proved-it/#

I answered him that according to the book, the determinists’ claim regarding quantum mechanics is this:
1. As far as is known, the human body’s neurons do not contain particles of quantum size. Therefore, there is no capacity for true uncertainty as in the laboratory.
2. Statistically, there is always a chance that a ping pong ball can tunnel through a wall. But the chances of that happening are zero and it doesn’t happen.
As a result, quantum mechanics cannot be used to prove freedom of choice, but only through philosophical and existential claims.

I would love to know the validity of the claims in the book over time.

Thank you very much!


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מיכי Staff answered 2 years ago

I am not familiar with the latest findings in brain research, but I would be very surprised if something like this happened (I explained why in the book). The same goes for quantum theory. But your/his description of the quantum picture is incorrect. Only now did they post a link to an article here on the site that describes our rather dismal state in understanding quantum theory and its holes. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjYjbeEoIOBAxXugP0HHZl5A90QFnoECCAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Farxiv.org%2Fpdf%2F2206.10445&usg=AOvVaw0sKQgMbwJ2fmaT2iBs8UUn&opi=89978449


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