Jul 30, 2026 · 32 min · 13 segments
Will you hit play on this episode?? It feels like that decision is totally within your control — but what if it’s not? What if free will is just an illusion? Lots of people are using science to say…
Wendy ZukermanHost
John-Dylan HaynesGuest
Sean CarrollGuestSo, like, there've been some psychology experiments that get people to read something crapping on free will-
... like something that says, quote, "Science has demonstrated that free will is an illusion," unquote.
And then the scientists see if reading that thing changes people's behavior, and these studies find that people will act worse.
They're more likely to cheat, less likely to help other people, and more likely to be aggressive after reading stuff like this.
Is that the idea? Is that the idea? What is, what is free will? I guess that, is that it, that I just do not have a choice, everything is predestined?
I don't think it means you will be an [censored]- Um, but we could [laughs] like let's look at what-
So you're at the ice cream shop trying to decide between the chocolate and the caramel-
So, like, there've been some psychology experiments that get people to read something crapping on free will-
... like something that says, quote, "Science has demonstrated that free will is an illusion," unquote.
And then the scientists see if reading that thing changes people's behavior, and these studies find that people will act worse.
They're more likely to cheat, less likely to help other people, and more likely to be aggressive after reading stuff like this.
Is that the idea? Is that the idea? What is, what is free will? I guess that, is that it, that I just do not have a choice, everything is predestined?
I don't think it means you will be an [censored]- Um, but we could [laughs] like let's look at what-
So you're at the ice cream shop trying to decide between the chocolate and the caramel-
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