Comments on: Interview with Tom Clark, Center for Naturalism https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/ Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:35:27 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: DuWayne https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498084 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:35:27 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498084 Not only does it only apply to rather pedantically absolutist definitions of “free will,” it also tends to cause a great deal of confusion in terms of psychology. This thinking lends itself to a rather fatalistic approach to life, often even for people who actually understand that concept. In any practical sense, we do indeed have the free will to make decisions that will govern our lives. That the complex weave of environmental interactions and biology necessarily governs that decision making is irrelevant and will remain irrelevant until we can actually decipher the virtually infinite variables that govern said decision making.

Of course at that point it is entirely possible that the very ability to decipher those variables and their interactions will make it a moot point, as it could well foster actual free will. And of course the tools that might actually make such an understanding are non-existent and some would argue improbable as well. I thought so just seven or eight months ago. But with the advent of parallel processing and the ability to stuff the processing power of a Cray supercomputer into a box only slightly larger than your average desktop, combined with some remarkable advances in AI makes it less improbable – though still a long ways off.

]]> By: Mike Haubrich https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498083 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:29:39 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498083 You know, we could probably set up something like that. I will look into it.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498082 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 04:10:30 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498082 Mike, have you seen how Skeptically Speaking parallels their live show with a talk/chat room thingie? It’s pretty cool. A discussion gets going, often before the show starts, and the producer/director person watches for people tagging their comments with QUESTION in all caps, then tries to work those questions into the show.

Of course, with Atheist talk on so early on Sunday morning, I suspect a lot more poeple listen to the podcast on their own time…

]]> By: Mike Haubrich https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498081 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:58:01 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498081 Seconded. I would love to have a call from you, Azkyroth. Or at least an e-mail.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498080 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:20:17 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498080 You should call in!

]]> By: Azkyroth https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498079 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:00:14 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/01/15/interview-with-tom-clark-cente/#comment-498079

Free will, as you know, does not really exist

I find this is true only for certain petulantly absolutist definitions of “free will.”

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