How to know everything!

This is an idea that I tried to explain to my dad, but he couldn't comprehend it.

Here it goes...
My idea is that everthing can be predicted with enough time and technology. This is an atheist idea so if you're Christian, you might not want to read this. The idea is that if you somehow were blocked off from the world, physically, mentally, and you couldn't affect anybody in anyway, and you could stop time, you could predict the future and know the past. If everybody's brain runs on chemicals, then chemical reactions could be predicted if you knew the course of one person's life. If you knew what happened previously, you could figure out what they were going to do later, if you knew what the other people they met in their day did. This is really complicated and I'm not very good ata explaining things like this, so ask questions and I'll try to answer to help you understand this.

Yeah i agree i thought that before. I do believe that everything happens in a set way defined by the laws of physics. There is one problem though...quantum mechanics. The uncertainty priciple, states that the more you know of a particle's momentum the less you know about its position, and vice versa.

Simply put, to observe something you must disturb it by firing something at it. e.g to observe an atom you would have to reflect of it a photon of light or something similar, this would change the position/momentum of the atom.

What this means is that nothing can ever be observed so accurately that we could predict its future.You could measure everything in a system to a certain extent, but it would be impossible to predict something as complicated as the behavior of a human.

I guess its natures way of stopping us knowing such things!

Einstien:"God does not play dice"

I think you could be right.
Its all about cause and effect. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You can apply this to anything. Well that last bit is newtons theory but I agree whole heartedly

You're not breaking new ground here and there really is nothing here to put off christians. You could learn a lot about your theory by reading the I Ching and the Confusian commentaries.

I thought about quantum mechanics, but i really don't understand it too well. I watched this thing on PBS that was talking about string theory. I think if you could figure out the motion of these strings, you could know everything. Just a tiny little string could explain eveything.

Well this would be the case, unless we assume that there are an infinite number of variables. Now, there might not be. But just suppose, for the sake of argument, that there were.

If that were the case, no matter what probability we establish for a specific event, there would be enough counter-possibilities to render the true probability no greater or lower than 50%

Probability only applies so long as you are dealing with a known number of variables. Take computer processors for instance. CPUs use branch prediction to increase efficiency. We can establish, within the confines of the CPU's pielines, specific probability. However, outside those confines, are a potentialy infinite number of other variables. No matter what the probability is, if a meteorite hits your PC, it doesn't apply anymore.

It's the same with weather. We can predict relatively well what the weather will be by looking at the available data. But what if something outside of the available data enters the equation? If there's a 90% chance of rain for Tuesday, but it stays sunny all day, that probability becomes 0.

So if we assume there an unlimited number of variables in the universe as a whole, then the only way to determine probability is by artificialy (or necessarily) limiting the scope of varibles to those we can process relatively well, or to those which we are aware of. But the existence of an unlimited number of possibilities outside of the ones of which we're aware, renders all probability 50% (in my mind, anyway) even though we don't usualy see that since not all possibilities actualy come to pass.

Now, if the universe is limited in size, and if there are only a finite number of things that ever can happen, then yes, we could conceivably, eventualy, attain the ability to predict everything that will ever happen.

Now I'm the first to admit I could be completely wrong, because none of knows everything yet lol. But personaly, I believe the number of variables is unlimited. The reason is because there is no clearly defined minimum "size" of empty space. So just by virtue of that fact, there are an unlimited/infinite number of possible places that any iota of our universe could be at any given time.

So while it's possible, I think it's also simultaniously impossible. I think we (we meaning human beings) also seem to have a problem thinking that things like possibility and impossibility, which appear to be mutualy exclusive, may not be in quantum mechanics (I'm not by any means saying I know anything about physics, I'm just speaking philosophicaly). Just by the very nature of space, there's an inifnite number of possible "sizes," positions, or "circumferances" for everything. That would indicate to me that, even if only in that case, the number of variables is unlimited, even if we aren't aware of how yet...if that makes any sense at all lol.

Again, I could be totaly wrong, but that's my thinking.

That makes alot of sense. But, the universe is limited in size if you can stop time. The reason you need to be able to stop time is so that you can know everything that is going on now, so you can know all of the counter possibilities.

Originally posted by Chocolate Cracker


Here it goes...
My idea is that everthing can be predicted with enough time and technology. .

One of my friends, is the smartest person I know, Out of this world smart, He believes time flows backwards. People in the future are doing experiments, to prove the way things work, and it is effecting us now. I dont know if he has converted mt to thinking this way.

I am tring to get him the right it all out for me so I can post it. it will be a great post, alot of intrest in it.

I'm not quite sure what you mean, about flowing backwards and all... explain please

Originally posted by Chocolate Cracker
I'm not quite sure what you mean, about flowing backwards and all... explain please

Im not sure I can, I will have to get on him to write it out for me.

ok, cool. How much time do you think it will take for you to get him to write it?

Originally posted by Chocolate Cracker
ok, cool. How much time do you think it will take for you to get him to write it?

I will at least wait till monday. Hopefully I can have on here by monday night. It will be its own thread, I will be sure to U2U a link.

k, cool. Tell me about this friend of yours. How old is he? Does he go to college?Is he out of college?

you don't have to reply if you dont want to. Not to be overly personal and all.

Aristotle was the first to believe that everything was knowable through logic. Newton believed this too and felt that the future could be accurately predicted. Quantum and Chaos theory prove we can't.

About time flowing backwards- If time flowed forward, today would become tomorrow. Instead today becomes yesterday. Things go from the future to the past. From what "could be" to what "was" hence backwards.

Originally posted by Chocolate Cracker
k, cool. Tell me about this friend of yours. How old is he? Does he go to college?Is he out of college?

He is 33, he ent to IU for 4 years, not sure what his major was, marketing I think. He has be abducted by aliens, So he believes. He does have something hard in his neck, Unexplanable. He is a very "dry person" He has alot of book smarts, no or very little people or street smarts.

Yeah, I need to catch up on some reading on quantum and chaos theory.

interesting, ty for the info on your friend. Anyways, I just googled chaos theory and got some interesting results. It makes perfect sense, but does not contradict with my theory. I'm saying i have to be in an environment unable to affect the one we are in now. Then, a googleplex of years or so, then I shall become goD!!! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Ok here goes nothing. First i believe that not only would you have to `stop` time , you would have to be outside the space time universe . Also I believe that some things are predestioned to happen. If you put these two beleifes together it leads to a surprising concluion : That there is a GOD. Most people today who claim to beleive in god , if you really pin them down , run around in illogical circles that make no @#$^**% sense and end up chasing their own tail , untill they fianally convince themselfs that the GOD of the bible is just a bad fiction. God is real. He loves you and wants to know you. There would not be one little speck of air here it was`nt for GOD ! and heres the really cool part . He is in control !! Really!

Originally posted by bluemooone
God is real. He loves you and wants to know you. There would not be one little speck of air here it was`nt for GOD ! and heres the really cool part . He is in control !! Really!

Nice wat to try to get your agenda across.