Ottawa Rambler

There is a new show on ABC called Flashforward. It’s a Sci-Fi show that chronicles the events of FBI agents investigating the cause of a globalwide crisis that kicks off the show.

That crisis, a global unconsciousness for ~2min. During that time the unconscious people dream of their own future 6 months from now. Almost of if their consciousness left their body in the present and went 6 months into the future for 2 mins.

So now everybody in the world knows exactly what will happen to them 6 months from now. Well almost everyone. Those who are dead 6 months before don’t have a flashforward and see nothing.

Amongst other things, the show of course wrestles with determinism vs free will and human choice.

Many people accept that what happens 6 months from now is written in stone and that their choices don’t matter, in effect negating freewill.

Nevermind that theologians, philosophers and scientists have debated this topic for millenia, we’ve now got a TV show tackling it!

My thoughts on the debate?

I’ve always been a determinist but I do have a hard time thinking that freewill doesn’t exist. That would make me a compatiblist.