Originally posted by FZ+
Once, I thought option 3, but I don't know anymore...
The truth is, a lot of physical processes do turn out to be apparently completely random. For example, nuclear decay - we can work out a formula for how likely it is to decay, and an overall statistical method for it's overall variation, but we can't say WHY a particular atom decays at a particular time. It seems to throw causality out the window.
There are as always, two solutions... (as far as I can tell)
1. There are hidden variables which determine the apparent random behaviour, and the randomness is due to the failure of our instruments to find the real causes. When we have the ToE, we can put them all in a deterministic framework.
2. The thing we observe as cause and effect are just an overview of the acausal quantum reality. The randomness cancels out at larger scales to form apparent order out of chaos. The universe is fundamentally not determinist - it just seems to be as a matter of generalisation. Our brains, acting in between the two worlds hence have an element of freedom.