Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman: Season 4

Here's a brief rundown of what's said, and how true or not it is. Gazzaniga claims free will emerges from complexity, but a complex system is as completely determined as is a simple one. However many layers of complexity there might be, none escape causality. The emergent properties he describes have causes. He uses the analogy of water forming into waves, but that process is completely deterministic. He says that simply understanding water will not allow you to understand wave formation, but what is at issue here is not wave formation but causality and free will. Gazzaniga then claims that it's our interactions with others that explain free will. But, to the contrary, if our actions are reactions to the actions of others, that's not free will. Also, those interactions must be caused, and therefore cannot be free. He makes the illogical conclusion that because we have a notion of personal responsibility there must be free will, not realizing that personal responsibility is a byproduct of that illusion of free will. If nothing is fundamentally up to us, fundamental personal responsibility is as much an illusion as is free will. He confuses social convention for reality. Gazzaniga also doesn't understand that whether or not we follow certain rules or ignore them is as completely determined as is everything else in our brain and in our world. He says freedom means getting more information. Maybe, but that's an entirely different matter than our having a free will. Sean Carroll, the physicist that follows Gazzaniga, affirms that physics completely refutes free will, but then confuses the term will with free will. He suggests that to choose is to choose freely. It is not. Narrator Morgan Freeman makes the same mistake at this point.Freeman then suggests that quantum indeterminacy may yield free will. But if our decisions are uncaused, they are not caused by our free will. He wrongly says that in the quantum world nothing is determined until we measure it. False. Measuring quantum phenomena simply influences the measured phenomena, and the measurement is as determined as everything else in the quantum and macro world. The documentary nears the end with Hans Herard (sp?) a physicist who took part in developing the standard model of quantum physics, affirming that determinism rules at both macro and quantum levels. That's good. It's a moot point, though, since both determinism and indeterminism refute free will. The documentary descends into absurdity by bringing in physicist Ken Wharton, who claims the future can determine the present. Ouch! His basic thesis is that because many physical laws are symmetrical in that they work equally well moving forward or backward in time, reality can also move backward in time. That's kind of like claiming that if you subtract two apples from one you'll end up with a physical entity called a negative apple. Sorry, not in this universe.How does the documentary end? Several years ago, neuroscientist Jon Schooler conducted a poorly designed psychology experiment suggesting that believing we have free will leads to more ethical behavior. It will be fun to see how more rigorous replications bring down that Hail Mary pass by people who must have free will, notwithstanding that it doesn't exist. Incidentally, in Schooler's experiment the free will believers cheated 9 times out of twenty, and the skeptics cheated 12 times out of twenty, (however, the latter subjects were not primed for moral behavior like were the free will believers). So much for bad scare-science. Freeman responds to Schooler's suggestion that we do, in fact, have free will by asserting that "neither he nor anyone else can prove it." And all evidence - logical, scientific, and experiential - stands against it. Can you choose to be as happy as you'd like any time you'd like? Didn't think so.Yes, we're essentially peopleuppets, with absolutely no free will. But understanding this fact will much more likely than not lead to a world of far less blame, guilt, arrogance and envy.

If you are at that stage of spiritual/intellectual development where you have begun to really think critically, wondering if Descartes was right, wondering how deep the rabbit hole goes, and are not easily upset by having conventional modes of believing disrupted, then these shows are a great first stepping stone for you. Please bear in mind as you are watching, however, that the History Channel is part of the mainstream media (this fact carries with it many implications and things to consider). If you are creative in your process, and really investigate each lead presented in Through the Wormhole in as many ways and from as many angles as possible (you will have to dig a little and risk public ridicule), then your path to wherever you are bound awaits...

If you are into science stuff, Through the Wormhole is a great show to watch whether you are a scientist or non-scientist. The show is well-rounded in acknowledging new and various fields of science. There is always a question of social and moral issues with respect to the topic at hand. This promotes a deeper thought into what we are doing and the impacts any break through could have on world, moreover are more or less lives. Beliefs and any question of faiths should not taboo various science topics, look at it in terms of a means of an understanding of how things works on our behalf. We feel the impact, if not in a lot of cases, benefits from science in many forms. To be fair, I do believe that people do have the to religious practices, with respect to the fair treatment of those who are members of that faith. Through the Wormhole is very careful to uphold a balance for all those who view the show, while maintaining an entertaining and fun environment.

Finding Higgs Boson leading us to another puzzle.All the matter we see in this universe including the one we can fathom using UV, Gama ray, X-ray, cosmic rays, constitutes merely 5% of the known universe. Rest of it consists of so called "Dark Matter" & " Dark Energy".Understanding how this solid matter came to be will lead us to only 5% of the stuff.Looks like this entire universe is like a illusion and matter is just a myth.This reminds me very old Sanskrit saying. "Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya"

Though the Wormhole is a really interesting series. Each episode keeps you entertained as well as informed. I'd rate this series up there with Cosmos by Carl Sagan (the original series, not the new one) as one of the top science shows of all time. Well documented with lots of good animation to keep one entertained/interested. Even some of the subjects you thought were obvious/boring (might have even skipped over) are worth watching as they present the subject matter very well. Just an overall great series in general.

While not every show is a topic I am enthralled with the actual content and views displayed are awesome. Then when you view an episode that has a topic your interested in you become mesmerized by the depth of views and ideas you are exposed to. I truly enjoy this program and Morgan Freemans narration qualities. Thank all of the individuals involved with this programing.

This is one of my favorite series on television. However, sometimes its a bit fluffy and less cut-dry science, but that depends on what episode you choose to watch.I highly suggest checking out the other seasons, I thought season 4 was weaker than the rest.My favorites from season 4:Do We Have Free Will?Did God Create Evolution?Will Sex Become Extinct?When Does Life Begin?

A great series, with a perfect host. This series raises very challenging and intriguing issues in science, and does so in a way which is challenging yet understandable. Mr. Freeman's human approach and anecdotes from his childhood bring many of the scientific issues raised into a perspective that is easy to understand. I find this series fascinating, and hope that it continues for many more seasons!

The first season of this series that has a couple of episodes that for the most part are lacking. Still worth it for the rest of the productions, but disappointing in this regard - I would rather have revisitted some previous subjects and updated them with new information.

Morgan Freeman takes us once again in phopilosophical journeys through the latest discoveries in the fields of astronomy, science, quantum physics and what these will possibly mean for mankind... Serious arguments here as most series remain at a more simple level. Still the best documentary series ever! Can't wait for season 5!

Love these docs!!

amazing series a must watch for everyone

This series is so good and Morgan Freeman does an excellent job narrating this series. I do not think that it would be as good with someone else narrating it.