Can Knowledge of the Future Alter Its Course?

[x2thay]

We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past would be present before its eyes.
—Pierre Simon Laplace, A Philosophical Essay on Probabilities

Given a Universe abiding solely by deterministic laws, Laplace's reasoning seems to make perfect sense. So let us take this deterministic Universe and imagine within it a scientist to whom the, let us call it: the ultimate formula, was made accessible. So, being capable to plug this hypothetical formula into a supercomputer, all the past states of the Universe as well as the future states would be absolutely and precisely knowable to the scientist.
So here's where the paradox arises: imagine the scientist uses said supercomputer to know how the next minute will play out: literally see the future. When this future is made visible to the scientist, then he is, therefore, able to act in a way that will create a different future than the formula predicted, rendering it useless in that sense.

Comments.

 

[Vorde]

The problem here is that if the entire universe is deterministic, than so is the brain, and so he will predict what he will do and not be able to change that.

If the brain is not deterministic, then the premise is false.

 

[Erland]

Hehe, this is similar to the paradoxes of time travel, like: if a time traveller travels back in time and meets and kills his/her younger self, then (s)he changes history, and will not travel back and kill himself, etc. These paradoxes are easily resolved if we just assume that time travel cannot be possible.
Likewise, Jaló's Paradox is resolved if either the universe is not deterministic or if it is not possible for beings within our universe to obtain all knowledge about the universe and calculate its future by such a supercomputer.

 

[Chronos]

It would really suck to be the scientist who gathered all the necessary data, but, discovered a computer powerful enough to crunch the numbers would require all the energy in the universe to build.

 

[pmacias]

I must say that Jaló's paradox raises some interesting questions about determinism and free will. While Laplace's reasoning may seem logical, it also assumes that the Universe operates solely on deterministic laws and that there are no other factors at play. In reality, there are many chaotic and unpredictable elements in the Universe that can affect the outcome of events.

Furthermore, even if we were to have access to the ultimate formula, it is impossible for us to have perfect knowledge and understanding of all the forces and positions in the Universe. Our own limitations as humans and the limitations of technology prevent us from ever achieving this level of understanding.

Additionally, the concept of free will cannot be ignored. Even if we were able to accurately predict the future, our actions and decisions are not solely determined by external factors. We have the ability to make choices and change the course of events, which adds an element of unpredictability to the future.

In conclusion, Jaló's paradox highlights the limitations of determinism and the complexities of the Universe. While it is an interesting thought experiment, it is important for scientists to acknowledge that there are many unknowns and uncertainties in the Universe that cannot be reduced to a single formula.