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From: pindor@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca (Andrzej Pindor)
Subject: Re: Randomness and free will
Message-ID: <DMDAKM.1n1@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca>
Organization: UTCC Public Access
References: <823175308.29461@ray.division.co.uk> <DMBo00.7A@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> <4f6nd7$925@panix3.panix.com> <4f78e4$nbo@zen.hursley.ibm.com>
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Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 18:41:10 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.physics:169589 comp.ai:36779 comp.ai.philosophy:37460 sci.philosophy.meta:24273

In article <4f78e4$nbo@zen.hursley.ibm.com>,  <Peter_Lupton@uk.ibm.com> wrote:
>In <4f6nd7$925@panix3.panix.com>, danmil@panix.com (Dan Miller) writes:
>>Andrzej Pindor (pindor@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca) wrote:
>>: In article <4evu83$neg@longwood.cs.ucf.edu>,
>>: Tom Clarke <clarke@longwood.cs.ucf.edu> wrote:
>>
>
>>....
>>: As I have pointed out above, a simple calculation of the number of possible
>>: states in the brain (classical), taking just 10^11 0-1 neurons (and the brain
>>: is definitely more complex than this) gives you enough states for any purpose
>>: you can dream of (and much, much more) _without_ invoking QM.
>
>Actually, the number of classical states of the brain is patently the cardinal
>of the continuum - more than enough for any purpose. But then, unfortunately,
>the number of classical states available to my car's odometer is also the
>continuum - again more than enough for any purpose. The problem with
>classical mechanics is not a shortage of states, but a glut.
>
This is totally irrelevant, perhaps you have not understood what the argument
is about. If your car's odometer was digital, i.e. had a finite number of
possible states between 0 and 200 mph. what difference would it make for its
functioning? The argument above would equally well apply to a digital system
with 10^11 0-1 elements. 

>Cheers,
>Pete Lupton

Andrzej
-- 
Andrzej Pindor                        The foolish reject what they see and 
University of Toronto                 not what they think; the wise reject
Information Commons                   what they think and not what they see.
pindor@breeze.hprc.utoronto.ca                      Huang Po
