A Deterministic Universe

I’m not a physicist nor do I claim to have any advanced knowledge on quantum mechanics. This is just my interpretation and exploration based on the extent of my understanding.

I believe we live in a deterministic universe, that is, one in which everything is predetermined. With data of the state of existence at any given moment, it should, in theory, be mathematically possible to reconstruct the atomic composition of the universe from its birth to eventual end. In plainer terms, reality can happen in only one way.

If calculable, you could theoretically render any point in time of any location. This might not be possible at all (as I explain later), but the concept of determinism transcends our attempts at prediction and would exist regardless.

Determinism revolves around the idea that randomness does not exist. This is refuted with theories in quantum mechanics, notably how classical events are deterministic as opposed to truly random quantum events under the hidden variables model. Schrödinger's cat theorizes superposition at the quantum level - contradicting determinism entirely. There’s no conclusive evidence to support quantum non-determinism, and it may just be our lack of understanding of higher quantum mechanics. Subatomic quantum states might be predictable - just in ways we don’t yet understand. The Copenhagen interpretation suggests quantum mechanics are intrinsically indeterministic, and the mere act of observing quantum properties changes its state. The Many Worlds (Everett) interpretation suggests that every indeterministic quantum event creates a branch of parallel realities to account for every possible quantum state. This would render the Copenhagen theory of indeterminism only applicable from the perspective of one branch, with the multiverse itself being deterministic as everything that can happen, will happen.

For the sake of this writing, we’ll consider the universe as deterministic and refrain from factoring in opposing theories (not that I understand any of them to begin with).

Cause and effect. Cause precedes effect. Everything is a product of what came before it. The universe operates on laws that govern everything. When you roll dice, the result is the product of the angle of your hand, its velocity and rotation along all axis, air resistance, the angle at which it hits a surface, the material of that surface, and a million other factors. If you knew these factors, it would be possible to determine the exact molecular state of the dice as it moves, and thus, the number it lands on. If you have the variables, you have the product.

The same goes for when you are asked to choose a number between one and a thousand. The result is a product of neurons firing in a certain way, with the neurons being influenced by the culmination of every memory, experience, and everything else that makes up our brains.

Let’s expand the scale. We now have the technology to know the position of all large celestial bodies in our solar system thousands of years into the future. With more computing power and better observational technology, we should be able to map out the position of a large portion of our galaxy well into the future. Once we have the technology to map out the atomic state of objects, couldn't prediction be possible on an atomic level?

I don’t think it’s possible to see the future though, not directly anyway. The second you see the future, that is no longer the future. Let’s say you see yourself standing up in 20 seconds. There is no omnipresent force (that I know of) that will make you stand up. Let’s say you watch yourself, intricately, going about your day tomorrow. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to execute what you saw at a molecular level. Knowledge of the future will change it.

But here’s the problem. Determinism knows everything. It would know that you would see the future and, thus, it would change. That future was never actually the future. The computer would know that because you see the future, that is no longer the future. You saw the future and acted differently. The computer will want to show the future where you acted differently. But because you now saw the future where you acted differently, the computer will want to show you the future where you acted differently because you saw yourself acting differently. It’s an infinite loop.

Such a computational device would also have to contain a simulated version of the universe, including itself, which would also contain itself. It would be computationally impossible unless the device were to exist in a dimension or reality separate from the one it’s predicting.

There could be ways to negate this. If we had the technology to know the state of existence, we should have control over its input variables. We could theoretically fork off reality and alter the state of the universe within a new simulation, one where you never look at the future, or one where the device doesn’t exist at all.

Ultimately, I believe in determinism because I cannot accept the universe operating on random variables. The beauty of math and science is that we are governed by laws to get the same result every time. There is power in this, and randomness would turn order into chaos.