Why we cannot calculate the future, even when taking every single variable into account
In: Physics
As a counter point to all the other answers, we “calculate the future, taking variables into account” all the time.
For example, weather prediction is generally accurate for the next 6 hours up to the next day. Looking a week ahead, maybe not as accurate, but short term it pretty much is.
And as another example, you have a pretty good idea what you’re going to be doing for the next 6 hours, and probably tomorrow too. Most people have schedules, jobs, household chores when they get home, planned evenings perhaps, etc.
You can’t function without “calculating the future”, as humans we don’t just react to the present situation, we always plan ahead. That’s calculating the future.
You’re going to argue that it’s not mathematical, but it is. The ACCURACY of it is not down to what every atom is going to be doing in the future, but you don’t NEED to know that in order to function.
And it’s impossible to know that, mostly because we have to use atoms (in the measuring device) in order to measure what other atoms are doing, and inserting atoms into what other atoms are doing disrupts what the other atoms are doing.
As an analogy, think of a sports game, but your measuring device is “as big as” the game, so basically you have to have 25 referees in the field (same number of referees as the two teams of players), dispersed among the players; the game will be affected, it won’t be the same game as with a single referee.
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