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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (16706)	3/15/2004 8:17:06 AM
From: briskit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28931

Posting on quantum mechanics and determinism. As you pointed out, it is impossible to know with absolute precision both the instantaneous position and momentum of a particle. However, because the future position and momentum of the particle is a function of the present position and momentum, this means that it is impossible to know with certainty the future position and momentum of the particle. Hence, the future course of that particle is uncertain. What difference does that make? Well, that's where chaos theory comes in. Often quantum uncertainties are "smoothed out" at macroscopic levels. However, some systems are extremely sensitive to small uncertainties - they act as "uncertainty amplifiers", converting microscopic uncertainties to macroscopic uncertainties. For example, a photomultiplier tube can detect the incidence of a single photon - which is definitely subject to quantum uncertainties. As an extreme example, suppose I rig one photomultiplier tube to connect to trigger a nuclear device, and another to defuse the trigger. The question of which tube is triggered first is subject to quantum indeterminicity - ie, it cannot be predicted. Yet the answer will have an extremely large macroscopic effect on the course of history. The future is undetermined, even at a macro level. QED. theologyweb.com You are probably advanced beyond the discussion at this site, but I found the exchange informative. It is at a Christian site so you get to hear what they are saying in case your understanding of that position needs tweaking, which is sometimes the case in debates. Unfortunately (my misfortune) I am too ignorant to debate this topic well with you.