I now have conclusive proof that all things are predestinated, at least through July of 2038.
As we know, the present is what it is. Whatever happened before definitely did happen, and it caused what we are currently experiencing. If anything was different in the past, now wouldn't be what it is. Therefore everything that has happened must have happened for this to be what it is.
If Free Will were more than an illusion bred from ignorance and fear of the future, then the future could not exist until all things that we are still in the process of choosing had already been chosen. If anything came to us from the future, that would be conclusive proof that the future did indeed exist, and therefore the present potentials have already been reached.
I have in my inbox proof that there is a future. I have received emails from July of 2038. Apparently, some time in the next thirty years, they will not only master sending messages through time, but they will also cure erectile dysfunction and perfect genetic manipulation of male genitalia, leaving them with a surplus of viagra, cialis, and herbal supplements to enlarge a specific part of the male anatomy. They are selling them to us in their past to still be able to turn a profit.
Very funny. Gah. But, as you know, though the present may depend upon the past, the future has, indeed not yet been determined, despite the spam in your inbox. :-/
ReplyDeleteJust for jollies, I guess I'm going to have to go through the probabilities of the various numbers that come up when rolling different numbers of dice. As we should all know, when we roll one die, there is an equal chance of any nuber between one and six from coming up.
When we roll two dice, however, the chances of getting a 7 are greater than any other result. You have 6 out of 36 (or 1 in 6) of rolling a seven.
You have 5 out of 36 chances of rolling a six or an eight, 4 out of 36, (1 in 9) of rolling a five or a nine, 3 of 36 (1 in 12) of riolling a four or a ten, 2 of 36 (1 in 18) of rolling a three or an eleven, and a 1 in 36 chance of rolling a two or a twelve. It is not possible, of course, to roll a one with a pair of dice.
With three dice, the possiblity of one or two becomes nil. Your best chances here are of rolling either ten or eleven (1 in 8). Chances of rolling a three or eighteen are 1 in 216.
Adding another die becomes, uh... dicey, as there are now 1296 chances to calculate. I haven't done that yet, but I'm thinking that, with an even numbe of dice, we're going to have one number again come up with the best chances.
The point of all this is that Certain sets of random events can, when taken all together yield total results that are not at all random, but rather, display probability curves.
The point of that is, of course, that free will at an individual level can still yield results consistent with predictions, if enough conditions are known by the prognosticator. in other words, a "prophet" with enough foreknowledge can still predict future events with reasonable accuracy, without constraining any one indiviual to any particular course of action.