3 ms·
The predictor already exists, there's a common FMRI experiment in neuroscience where with about 80% accuracy the scientists can predict you're about to push the
by eloff 13y ago
The predictor already exists, there's a common FMRI experiment in neuroscience where with about 80% accuracy the scientists can predict you're about to push the button about one second before you decide to do it. Someone no doubt will post a link, I don't have time to Google it now. I'm guessing it's the inspiration for this story.
I'm more curious about what you guys think. I've long thought the arguments against free will are much stronger than those for it, but it's an unsettling idea to live with.
- dangrossman 13y agoIt'd be a "predictor" if an FMRI could predict that the neurons are about to light up a second before that happens, rather than just measure the delay between neuron activity and conscious perception or conscious motor control. Regardless, if anyone finds the thought that an FMRI can detect you making a decision a significant amount of time before you're aware of making that decision particularly interesting, this book dives into that research and much more about the nature of consciousness from a neuroscience and information theory POV: http://www.amazon.com/The-User-Illusion-Cutting-Consciousness/dp/0140230122 http://www.amazon.com/The-User-Illusion-Cutting-Consciousnes...
- diydsp 13y agoYes, loved the User Illusion. Fascinating Stuff. Also, lately I've been hearing a lot about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happiness_Hypothesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happiness_Hypothesis in which the brain is likened to a person riding and elephant. We can train the elephant, but mostly the elephant repeats its program. It's billed as about "happiness," but imo that's only one slice of it. It applies to all habits, including eating, exercise, improving sw development skills...
- dullcrisp 13y agoInteresting. If the observers were to play a distracting tone every time they predicted that you were about to decide to press the button, would you never experience deciding to press the button?
- return0 13y agoNot 1, but 7 seconds before http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0021612 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjourna...
- moondowner 13y agoWow, thanks for sharing this, will definitely read it.
- brazzy 13y agoAll it realls proves is that "deciding to do something" is not the simple, conscious event that it seems to us.