FEW questions run as deep as whether we have control over our actions and decisions. Philosophers are still hotly debating it, but they are no longer alone. It has become as much a problem for neuroscientists, psychologists and physicists.
When Nobel laureate Gerard ‘t Hooft published a theory last year aimed at unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity, it caused an outcry because it implied that the behaviour of particles – and of ourselves – was predetermined (Â鶹´«Ã½, 4 May 2006, p 8). In response, ‘t Hooft set out to redefine free will in an attempt to salvage it – or a version of it –…
