Are You an NPC?

Summary

This thought-provoking script delves into the debate surrounding free will, contrasting deterministic physics with quantum mechanics' inherent randomness. It explores the philosophical divide, questioning whether our actions are predetermined or genuinely our own. The script introduces the concept of emergence, suggesting that complex layers of reality may grant us autonomy beyond the sum of our parts, ultimately leaving the question of free will open-ended, prompting viewers to ponder their own role in shaping their destiny.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The debate on free will centers on whether our actions are determined by the laws of physics or if we have the autonomy to make decisions.
• 🎯 The concept of free will suggests that the future is not fixed and can be influenced by our actions, which is fundamental to our moral and legal systems.
• 🌌 Determinism posits that all events, including our actions, are the inevitable result of preceding events, tracing back to the Big Bang.
• 🚀 Quantum mechanics introduces an element of randomness that challenges the deterministic view, suggesting that not all outcomes can be predicted with certainty.
• 🔬 The argument against free will suggests that if our brains are subject to random quantum processes, then these processes, not us, make decisions for us.
• 🌱 Emergence is a phenomenon where complex systems exhibit properties that their individual components do not have, challenging the reductionist view of the universe.
• 🌐 Reality is organized in layers, each with its own set of rules and properties, and higher layers are not necessarily predictable from the lower ones.
• 🤔 The script questions whether the search for free will should focus on fundamental particles and deterministic laws or on the emergent properties of complex systems like the human brain.
• 💭 Consciousness, character, and feelings emerge from the interactions of neurons in the brain, suggesting that 'we' are part of the decision-making process at this level of complexity.
• 🕊️ The argument for free will is seen as more appealing because it acknowledges the complexity of the universe and the role of emergent properties in shaping our actions.
• 📰 The script also touches on the influence of algorithms and media on our perception of the world, suggesting that Ground News can provide a more balanced view by aggregating diverse sources.
• 📍 The video concludes by emphasizing the subjective feeling of having free will and the importance of making conscious decisions, even if the existence of free will is philosophically disputed.

Q & A

What is the core debate about free will presented in the script?

The script presents a debate between two philosophical camps: one that argues free will is incompatible with the deterministic laws of physics, and another that argues for the possibility of free will through the concept of emergence and the layered structure of reality.

How does the script describe the deterministic view of the universe?

The deterministic view posits that the universe operates based on fixed laws of physics, implying that all events, including human actions, are predetermined from the moment of the Big Bang, leaving no room for free will.

What role does quantum mechanics play in the debate about free will?

Quantum mechanics introduces an element of randomness at the subatomic level, which some argue could provide a basis for free will. However, the script points out that the no-free-will camp believes this randomness does not equate to decision-making power.

What is emergence, and how does it challenge the reductionist view of the universe?

Emergence is a phenomenon where many small components come together to create new properties that did not exist at the individual level. It challenges the reductionist view by showing that properties of higher levels, such as consciousness and free will, cannot be fully explained by looking at the fundamental particles alone.

How does the script suggest that layers of reality are largely independent of each other?

The script suggests that while layers of reality influence each other to some extent, they often operate independently. For example, understanding politics does not require knowledge of cellular biology, and understanding organs does not require knowledge of quarks.

What does the script imply about the relevance of the layer of reality to free will?

The script implies that the layer of reality most relevant to free will is the one where consciousness and individual identity emerge, suggesting that our decisions are shaped by us and that we have a say in this layer of reality.

What is the script's stance on the practical implications of the free will debate?

The script suggests that even if free will is an illusion, the practical implications are minimal. It argues that as long as we feel like we are making decisions and are not sure either way, the debate may not significantly affect how we live our lives.

How does the script relate the concept of free will to the Ground News service?

The script uses the Ground News service as a metaphor for taking control over what occupies our minds, suggesting that just as we may have free will in our decisions, we can also choose the information we consume and compare different viewpoints.

What is the significance of the limited edition pin mentioned in the script?

The limited edition pin represents the philosophy of the script's creators, encouraging viewers to embrace the freedom and impermanence of life and to make the most of their time on Earth.

What is the 'Curiosity Guide' mentioned in the script, and what is its purpose?

The 'Curiosity Guide' is a resource created by the script's creators to inspire viewers to embark on adventures that can change their perspective on the world, aligning with the theme of seeking understanding and making the most of life.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Illusion of Free Will

The first paragraph introduces the concept of free will and its philosophical debate. It questions whether individuals truly have the freedom to make choices or are simply following a predetermined path set by the universe's laws. The script explores the deterministic nature of physics, suggesting that if the universe operates on fixed laws, then every event, including human decisions, could be predicted from the moment of the Big Bang. This deterministic view implies a lack of free will, as all actions are the inevitable result of preceding events. However, it also mentions quantum mechanics as a potential counter-argument, introducing randomness at the subatomic level, which could challenge the idea of complete determinism.

05:01

🌐 Emergence and the Layers of Reality

The second paragraph delves into the concept of emergence, which challenges the reductionist view that everything can be explained by fundamental particles. Emergence refers to the phenomenon where collective properties of a system cannot be predicted from the properties of its individual components. The script discusses how reality is organized in layers, each with its own set of properties and rules, and how higher-level phenomena like consciousness and decision-making cannot be fully understood by examining only the basic particles. It argues that the complexity of the universe and the existence of these layers suggest that free will might be a real and relevant aspect of our existence, as it cannot be reduced to mere physical determinism or quantum randomness.

10:03

📰 Free Will in Practice and the Influence of Media

The third paragraph shifts the focus from theoretical debates to practical implications, particularly how the perception of free will affects our daily lives and decision-making. It humorously suggests that while we may not have control over the broader state of the world, we do have choices in our immediate actions, such as selecting what to watch next. The paragraph also discusses the role of algorithms in shaping our news consumption, potentially limiting our exposure to diverse viewpoints. It introduces Ground News as a tool to counteract this by providing a platform for comparing different news coverage and perspectives. The script concludes with a promotion of a limited edition pin and a Curiosity Guide, both designed to inspire making the most of life's fleeting moments.

Keywords

💡Free Will

Free will refers to the ability of an individual to make choices and decisions without external constraints or coercion. In the video, it is central to the debate on whether our actions are predetermined by the laws of physics or if we genuinely have the power to shape our own futures. The script uses the concept of free will to explore the philosophical and scientific implications of determinism and randomness in human decision-making.

💡Determinism

Determinism is the philosophical belief that all events, including moral choices, are determined completely by previously existing causes. The script discusses determinism in the context of the laws of physics dictating the behavior of particles, suggesting that if these laws are deterministic, then our actions may be predestined, challenging the concept of free will.

💡Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes how the physical world operates at the smallest scales. The script introduces quantum mechanics to argue against strict determinism, highlighting the inherent randomness in quantum processes that could potentially allow for indeterminacy in human decision-making.

💡Emergence

Emergence is a concept in which complex systems or patterns arise from the interaction of simpler entities, and these new patterns cannot be deduced from the properties of the individual components alone. The video uses emergence to argue that the universe is not solely reducible to its basic particles, suggesting that higher-level phenomena like consciousness and free will may emerge from complex interactions.

💡Reductionism

Reductionism is a philosophical and scientific approach that seeks to understand complex phenomena by reducing them to their fundamental components. The script critiques reductionism by pointing out that it fails to account for emergent properties and may not be the best approach to understand concepts like free will.

💡Causality

Causality is the relationship between cause and effect, where one event (the cause) influences another event (the effect). The video script discusses causality in the context of the deterministic laws of physics, which create chains of cause and effect that may suggest our actions are predetermined.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness refers to the quality or state of awareness, or the ability to experience thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. In the script, consciousness is mentioned as an emergent property of the brain, which is part of the argument for the existence of free will at the level of human experience.

💡Moral Responsibility

Moral responsibility is the idea that individuals should be held accountable for their actions based on their ability to make choices. The video connects moral responsibility to the concept of free will, suggesting that if we have free will, we are responsible for our actions, which is foundational to our moral and legal systems.

💡NPC (Non-Player Character)

In the context of the video, an NPC refers to a character in a video game that follows a predetermined set of behaviors and actions, without the ability to make independent decisions. The script uses the term to metaphorically describe the idea that humans might not have free will and are simply following a predetermined script.

💡Algorithms

Algorithms are a set of rules or processes used to solve problems or perform tasks, often in computing and data processing. The video mentions algorithms in the context of news consumption, discussing how they may limit our exposure to diverse viewpoints and information, which contrasts with the theme of free will and the ability to make independent choices.

💡Optimistic Nihilism

Optimistic nihilism is a philosophical perspective that embraces the idea that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, but chooses to find positivity and happiness in the absence of such a framework. The video ends with a mention of optimistic nihilism as a way to make the most of our time on Earth, aligning with the theme of taking control of one's life despite the uncertainty of free will.

Highlights

The concept of free will is fundamentally questioned in relation to the deterministic laws of physics.

The idea that we may be like NPCs, unable to make decisions for ourselves due to the laws of physics.

Free will is central to human relationships and the basis of our moral and legal systems.

The philosophical debate on free will is presented, focusing on its compatibility with the universe's laws.

The deterministic nature of physics suggests that our actions may be predetermined from the Big Bang.

Quantum mechanics introduces randomness, challenging the deterministic view of the universe.

The argument that quantum randomness does not equate to free will, as it is still outside of our control.

The concept of emergence in physics, where new properties arise from the collective behavior of smaller entities.

The layered structure of reality, with each level having distinct properties that cannot be explained by the levels below.

The argument that free will may exist at the level of human consciousness and decision-making, beyond the quantum level.

The philosophical stance that even without free will, our subjective experience of making decisions is significant.

The practical implications of the free will debate and its impact on our understanding of responsibility and choice.

Ground News is introduced as a tool to combat algorithmic bias in news consumption.

The promotion of Ground News as a platform for balanced and comparative news coverage.

The introduction of a limited edition pin representing the philosophy of kurzgesagt and optimistic nihilism.

The Curiosity Guide created by kurzgesagt to inspire exploration and change in perspective.

Transcripts

Are you free? Free to choose what you do  and make decisions? Or are you an NPC,  

unable to decide anything for yourself? You  feel that you have control over your life,  

or at least what you’ll have for breakfast.  But this may be an illusion. Physics actually  

may force you to go through life as  if on rails, with no free will at all.

You experience free will all the time. Like when  

you decided to watch this video  instead of doing something useful.  

Free will is your ability to decide by yourself  what you do. It means that the future is an open  

arena that you can shape with your actions. It’s  at the core of human relationships – it means  

you are responsible for your actions, which  is the basis of our moral and legal systems.

There are too many dimensions for one short  video – moral, psychological, biological,  

so we’ll focus on the most essential  part: Is free will even possible?

Two main philosophical camps are fighting  about this. No matter how we represent them,  

they'll be upset about it – so we’ll use  our own words. The first camp claims that  

the very idea of free will is fundamentally  incompatible with the laws of the universe:

You Are an NPC

Whatever “you” exactly are, it's  somehow made up of your physical  

brain and body. And these are made of cells,  

which are made of proteins, which are made of  atoms and particles like protons or electrons.

So fundamentally, you are a specific, quite  lovely, dynamic pattern of particles. Particles  

have no will, no motivation, no freedom,  they blindly follow the laws of physics.  

And we don’t know why, but most laws  of physics are deterministic – which  

means that things happen the way they do  because of the things that came before.

If you play pool and hit a ball at a specific  speed and angle, the laws of physics tell you  

exactly how all the balls on the table will  behave – their speeds, recoil directions,  

everything. These laws completely decide the  behavior of all balls on the table. At the  

microscopic level things work very much  like that, only without players. Actions  

and reactions affect all the particles in the  universe, creating a chain of causal effects  

that extends throughout time, from the past to the  future. Things happen, making other things happen.

Now imagine that if, right after the  Big Bang, a supersmart supercomputer  

looked at every single particle in the  universe and noted all their properties.  

Just by applying the deterministic laws  of physics, it should be able to predict  

what all the particles in existence  would be doing until the end of time.

But if you are made of particles and  it’s technically possible to calculate  

what particles will do forever, then  you never decided anything. Your past,  

present and future were already  predetermined and decided at the  

Big Bang. That would mean there is a kind of  fate and you are not free to decide anything.

You may feel like you make decisions,  but you're actually on autopilot. The  

motions of the particles that make  up your brain cells that made you  

watch this video were decided 14 billion  years ago. You are just in the room when  

it happens. You're only witnessing how the  universe inside you unfolds in real time.

But this can’t be true because of quantum  mechanics, right? Quantum processes are  

intrinsically random, not deterministic, and  can’t be predicted with total certainty. On  

the quantum pool table, balls can go  randomly left or up or banana. Their  

behavior isn’t set by what came before  but randomly decided in real time.

But for the no-free-will camp, this doesn’t  affect their argument . They think that since  

quantum processes are random, they don’t allow  you to make any decisions. Because if there is  

randomness for the things that fundamentally  make up your brain and body, these random  

processes make the decisions for you. How?

Say an electron can randomly go right or  left. If it goes left, it triggers electric  

currents between your neurons that create a  neuronal process, which triggers a long chain  

of actions that make you watch a youtube video.  Or it goes right and makes you clean your room.  

Just because the chain is extremely complex  doesn’t mean you have any control over it.

So maybe your fate was not decided at the Big  Bang but it is decided at this very moment. The  

important part is that it's not decided by you.  You get no say in this, you have no free will.

Wow. This is kind of a bummer because the  argument fundamentally seems to make sense.  

Except nooooooo, screams the free will side, this  is a really bad way to think about the universe.

You Are The Main Character

We know that we can reduce everything that  exists to its basic particles and the laws that  

guide them. While this makes physics feel like the  only scientific discipline that actually matters,  

there is a problem: You can’t explain everything  in our universe only in terms of particles.

One key fact about reality that we can’t  explain by looking just at electrons and  

quantum stuff is emergence. Emergence is  when many small things together create  

new fundamental traits that didn’t exist before.

A drop of water is just a  sextillion H2O molecules.  

If you get water on your pants, they get  wet. But what is… wetness? H2O molecules  

are not wet. But your pants are definitely  wet now. Many small things together just  

created something new that doesn't exist  at the level of the individual molecules.

Emergence occurs at all levels of reality,  and reality seems to be organized in layers:  

atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, you,  society. Put many things in one layer together  

and they’ll create the next layer up. Every  time they do, entirely new properties emerge.

One Atom can’t handle information, but many  of them together can form a DNA molecule.  

Molecules are not alive, but many of them can form  a cell, and cells are alive. With each jump up the  

complexity ladder the rules of what's possible  change. Completely new things emerge that are much  

more than the sum of their parts. And here the  reductionist view of the universe breaks down.

The layers of reality need each other to make  sense. You can explain living things with cells,  

cells with molecules and molecules  with atoms. But because of emergence,  

you can’t start with quantum particles and  reconstruct the universe. You can’t explain  

galaxies with quantum mechanics,  or human psychology with quarks.

This is not the whole story. Reality is not  just structured in layers but for some reason  

the layers are also largely independent of  each other. Things existing within the same  

layer can influence each other and maybe  a layer up or down. But often they don’t  

seem to influence things much higher up or  down. To figure out how your organs work,  

you don’t need quarks. To understand politics,  you don’t need to know about cells! If you want  

to explain things happening on one layer, you  can only do that by staying close to that layer.

“Noooooooo” screams the no-free-will camp  

in frustration. “You can’t just  use magic to explain free will!”

But the emergence argument doesn’t invoke  magic. It just says that thinking about free  

will in terms of determinism and fundamental  laws is a dead end. A kind of category error,  

like trying to explain galaxies by  looking at your digestive tract.  

It is part of a reductionist school  of thinking about the universe that  

very successfully shaped science for a long  time – but that's challenged by emergence.

So maybe, trying to understand free will  by looking at fundamental particles,  

deterministic laws and quantum  mechanics misses the point. The  

question we should be asking is – which  layer of reality is relevant to free will?

Well, just like no individual molecule creates  wetness, not a single cell in your brain wants  

to watch Youtube. But one layer up, your  brain made of 80 billion interconnected  

neurons does. On this layer all the things  relevant to you emerge: your consciousness,  

character, feelings, your fears and dreams. This  is where you emerge. We don’t know why and how,  

but we know that you're here, right now.  How all the things going on in your brain  

play off each other to make you who you are  is a whole different can of worms – but on  

this layer of reality, you are part of the  decision process. Because, at this level,  

“you” are just one more physical cause of  whatever happens in your brain. You are shaped  

by your decisions and your decisions are shaped by  you. You have a say about this layer of reality.

You are not just witnessing how the  universe inside you unfolds – you’re  

actually taking part in it! And  you are free to do so however  

you see fit. At least this is how  some on the free will side see it.

Conclusion and Opinion

So who is right? Is there free will? We  don’t know. If you ask us personally,  

we think the argument for free will  is more appealing because it brings  

the complexity of the universe to the table.  Maybe existence is just the sum of its parts,  

but at least for now it seems  the universe is not that simple.

But even if we don’t have free will, it’s  not clear what that changes for practical  

purposes. You and us, we humans, on a purely  subjective basis, feel like we have free will  

and that your decisions are yours to make. As  long as we are not sure either way, and if it  

feels like you are making decisions, what does  it matter if a non-existent supercomputer could  

have calculated the future at the big bang?  Or if quantum stuff all the way down randomly  

nudges your cells one way or the other. Free  will that feels free is good enough for us.

In any case, now you can decide what to do  next. Maybe get some stuff done? Or watch  

more of our videos? It’s your decision! Probably.

At least you can pick which video to watch next -  in theory.

What you have really almost no control  over is how the state of the world is presented to  

you in the news. Algorithms are constantly working  behind the scenes to decide which information to  

show you, and alarmist headlines get amplified  over straightforward reporting. But Ground News,  

the sponsor of this video, can give you  back a feeling of independence.

They gather related news articles from around the  world in one place so you can compare coverage.  

For example, last month the UK government  passed a bill to deport asylum seekers to  

Rwanda. This bill was widely covered by more  than 150 news sources around the world. And  

using the Ground News Blindspot feed you can see  how this event is being framed by both sides of  

the political spectrum - instead of one side  that an algorithm has decided you align with. 

Right leaning sources focused on the idea  that migrants are continuing to cross the  

Channel despite the bill’s attempt to act as a  deterrent, while left-leaning sources focus on  

human rights groups' opposition to the bill. This way you can compare different viewpoints  

from all over the world, see how the story  and coverage change and be better equipped  

to engage in constructive dialogue  with those who hold different views.

Go to ground dot news slash nutshell to give it a  try. If you sign up through this link you’ll get  

40% off the unlimited access plan. We think they  do an important job – If you’re not completely  

free in your decision to stop scrolling, at  least take control over what occupies your mind. 

Buckle up! Our latest limited edition  pin is available for pre-order now.

And this time it's personal. 

It represents nothing less than  the philosophy of kurzgesagt.

This world is a scary place. As far  as we know the whole universe will  

die one day. What does life even mean?  Will we ever figure out why we exist?  

This could be terrifying. But this also means that  we're not bound by any rules or purpose. If our  

life is all we get to experience, then it's  the only thing that matters. We are truly free  

in a universe sized playground. So, we might as  well aim to be happy and make the most of it.

Counter existential dread with optimistic nihilism  

and wear this pin as a reminder to make  the most of your precious time on Earth.

We will too.

Like life and the universe itself, this pin’s  existence is fleeting. It’s available only for  

pre-order and only for 72 hours. So complete your  kurzgesagt pin collection or start a new one. The  

next limited edition pin will be revealed soon. Every single purchase unlocks another moment we  

get to spend creating and perfecting our videos. Thank you so, so much for your support! 

To help you make the most of your  life we've created a Curiosity Guide 

that will take you on epic adventures  to change your perspective on the world.