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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xeridanus" data-source="post: 125697" data-attributes="member: 5963"><p>i agree with squishy that it is impossible to tell but, on a more substantial basis. Quantum theory (admitedly opens more questions than it answers.) states that some events have no cause. for example, in the macro world, if you fall over thats the cause, the effect is you skinning your knee. every effect must have a cause. not in the micro world. the random phenomena of radioactive decay is a good example. scientists can predict exactly when one of two radioactive atoms will decay. however, they cannot predict which one will decay. they know one will, they when it will, but each one has an equal chance that they will decay. never does both decay at the same time, nor do neither of them decay. because of this uncertainty, some people have come to believe in multiple universes, where each time a purely random event occurs, a universe is created where the other option (what ever it may be) happened instead. anyway, getting sidetracked. what if we could know the exact position and velocity of every particle in the galaxy, or universe. we would be able to predict the future. perhaps the uncertainty of quantum particles was created to prevent such an event from happening. but is radioactive decay really pure random? or does it simply seem that way cos we do not fully understand what causes it? is everything predetermined, by some unknown mechanism? or is there a chance that my keyboard will turn into a bowl of petunas and think "oh no, not again."</p></blockquote><p></p>

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