Sorry, I’m new here, and I’ve truly no experience with philosophy. However, I’ve had this problem that I’ve been thinking about for awhile concerning a deterministic model for the universe.
Consider a hypothetical, experimental world where the universe is deterministic, and all states have exactly one immutable outcome. Now let’s say you, the conscious experimenter, discovered what appears to be a model for the universe that could predict all of the future events based on fundamental rules and initial conditions. Then, using this model, you calculate what you will do ten seconds from now. Let’s say in ten seconds the model says you will take a seat. However, you decide to contradict it, and simply remain standing. Haven’t you broken the model? It doesn’t matter whether the model is able to predict that you will contradict it, since it must describe one definite outcome (I imagine this means it can't contain conditionals), which you will then contradict after the calculation. Perhaps that wasn’t the true deterministic model. But doesn’t that mean that the true deterministic model is one that can/will never be exposed to conscious, intelligent interpretation?
Does this mean that humans, even given an infinite wealth of technological resources and time to research, will never be able to find a deterministic model for the universe (if there is one)? Can’t a conscious and intelligent being contradict any deterministic model that it can interpret? Does this say anything about the nature of consciousness or intelligence? What’s the best way to understand this?
Thanks for helping. I’m rather young, so please go easy on me!
Sidenote: my short lived online research expenditure led me to Thomas Breuer’s self-reference problem. I don’t understand it entirely, but I think it has something to do with the inability for an observer to take accurate measurements from inside of a system, or something. Is it related?