Scientists have proposed a model for how living beings can make free choices without breaking the laws of physics. Just as many microscopic states of water create a single sensation of its temperature, many quantum states could correspond to one choice of an organism. Could our consciousness be as physical as the steam rising from a cup of tea?
An amoeba turns left. For a long time, this was considered the result of a rigid chain of causes, like dominoes. But at the core of matter, there's a gap for freedom. The 'Agent Choice via Quantum Flux' model shows: each decision corresponds not to one, but to many quantum histories. It's like in a kitchen: dozens of chefs cook the same soup—each moves differently, but the dish turns out the same. Here, a cloud of quantum states merges into one action. This idea was anticipated by Людвиг Больцман, showing that the sensation of heat—энтропия—arises from the invisible dance of atoms. One perceivable state (warm tea) is made up of a huge number of such invisible motions. The authors extend this logic to choice: the decision 'left' defines not a single point, but a cloud of admissible quantum configurations. Physics merely outlines the boundaries of this cloud. Also, Эрвин Шрёдингер in his book 'What is Life?' suggested that living systems use quantum effects. And although life is often reduced to углероду and воде, it is the quantum layer that makes room for choice. Thus, quantum fuzziness reconciles free will with the laws of physics. The hypothesis is testable: perhaps amoebas and single-celled organisms demonstrate genuine choice. Moreover, the model hints at quantum computers that could make decisions by intuition, not by a rigid program.
🎯 The number of invisible quantum states in a glass of water exceeds the number of atoms in the entire visible universe—which is why a glass of water looks the same every second, even though everything is bubbling inside.