Isn't it amazing how precisely the bridge of my nose is determined bythe shape of my glasses? Just look -- come on over to Seattle anytime, and look. The bridge of my nose fits into that gap in the frame of my glasses smoothly and comfortably and at exactly the right angle that, when the earpieces are hooked over my ears, the lenses are at the optimum viewing level and angle for my eyesight. Isn't that amazing determinism?

That is as logical an argument as saying that the universe is determined by physical laws. "Physical laws" are a description of patterns in what we have observed. When predictions based on those observed patterns get borne out consistently, the pattern gets called a"law". It's still a description of observed behavior, not the determining factor in that behavior, any more than a great betting system is a way of controlling how horses run. (This may be a terrible surprise for some folks.)

And just as many gambling systems are based on observing the patterns in random chance events, physics itself can be described the same way. A big enough mass of chaos begins forming patterns -- especially if observed by a human mind, which dearly loves to see patterns in things.



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