Short story about free will and a device which buzzes/lights up moments before you press it
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I read this story about a device that lights up or buzzes or does something moments before it you press a button or something, effectively killing the notion of free will. I read the recently, online, but it could have been floating around for a longer time.
You couldn't outwit the device no matter how hard you tried. You could pretend you are going to press and not press but it won't light up/buzz. You accidentally press it and it would buzz/light up just before. The story was more like an essay, like how a news article would read. I don't remember the ending. I found it while browsing through a few Hugo-award winning writers' short stories, though not sure who.
I also remember a part where people go mad trying to outwit the device into not knowing what they will do. But no matter how random they are, it always knows because there is no such thing as free will.
I remembered one more piece of information. Someone reaches out to the present from the future — not sure why. It end's with a line something like "because I had to."
I have searched for stories of free will and it shows a lot of things, but not this story. I have tried device and free will in the same search to no avail.
story-identification short-stories
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
add a comment |Â
up vote
47
down vote
favorite
I read this story about a device that lights up or buzzes or does something moments before it you press a button or something, effectively killing the notion of free will. I read the recently, online, but it could have been floating around for a longer time.
You couldn't outwit the device no matter how hard you tried. You could pretend you are going to press and not press but it won't light up/buzz. You accidentally press it and it would buzz/light up just before. The story was more like an essay, like how a news article would read. I don't remember the ending. I found it while browsing through a few Hugo-award winning writers' short stories, though not sure who.
I also remember a part where people go mad trying to outwit the device into not knowing what they will do. But no matter how random they are, it always knows because there is no such thing as free will.
I remembered one more piece of information. Someone reaches out to the present from the future — not sure why. It end's with a line something like "because I had to."
I have searched for stories of free will and it shows a lot of things, but not this story. I have tried device and free will in the same search to no avail.
story-identification short-stories
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
2
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
1
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56
add a comment |Â
up vote
47
down vote
favorite
up vote
47
down vote
favorite
I read this story about a device that lights up or buzzes or does something moments before it you press a button or something, effectively killing the notion of free will. I read the recently, online, but it could have been floating around for a longer time.
You couldn't outwit the device no matter how hard you tried. You could pretend you are going to press and not press but it won't light up/buzz. You accidentally press it and it would buzz/light up just before. The story was more like an essay, like how a news article would read. I don't remember the ending. I found it while browsing through a few Hugo-award winning writers' short stories, though not sure who.
I also remember a part where people go mad trying to outwit the device into not knowing what they will do. But no matter how random they are, it always knows because there is no such thing as free will.
I remembered one more piece of information. Someone reaches out to the present from the future — not sure why. It end's with a line something like "because I had to."
I have searched for stories of free will and it shows a lot of things, but not this story. I have tried device and free will in the same search to no avail.
story-identification short-stories
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
I read this story about a device that lights up or buzzes or does something moments before it you press a button or something, effectively killing the notion of free will. I read the recently, online, but it could have been floating around for a longer time.
You couldn't outwit the device no matter how hard you tried. You could pretend you are going to press and not press but it won't light up/buzz. You accidentally press it and it would buzz/light up just before. The story was more like an essay, like how a news article would read. I don't remember the ending. I found it while browsing through a few Hugo-award winning writers' short stories, though not sure who.
I also remember a part where people go mad trying to outwit the device into not knowing what they will do. But no matter how random they are, it always knows because there is no such thing as free will.
I remembered one more piece of information. Someone reaches out to the present from the future — not sure why. It end's with a line something like "because I had to."
I have searched for stories of free will and it shows a lot of things, but not this story. I have tried device and free will in the same search to no avail.
story-identification short-stories
story-identification short-stories
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
edited Aug 17 at 12:02
SQB
25.2k23132227
25.2k23132227
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
asked Aug 17 at 10:41
Krit
36429
36429
James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
2
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
1
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56
add a comment |Â
James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
2
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
1
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56
James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
2
2
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
1
1
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
54
down vote
accepted
This sounds to me like Ted Chiang's "What's expected of us", posted online here. It matches the description of effect preceding cause, and ends with the line:
So why did I do it?
Because I had no choice.
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
As a short story, this appears to be (or be based on) "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", by Isaac Asimov (published 1948).
Thiotimoline was extracted from rose hips, as I recall, and was so impossibly soluble in water that it dissolved some 1.12 seconds before the water was added. This, with photoelectric detection of dissolution of the powder triggering adding water to another sample, was the basis of the "thiotimoline battery" which would signal an arbitrary length of time before it was triggered -- no matter what the triggering event (if you firmly decided, after the battery signaled, that you were not going to trigger it, an event -- disaster -- as big as necessary would cause triggering).
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
add a comment |Â
up vote
11
down vote
I found the answer to my own question. The Story is "Whats expected of us" by Ted Chiang and it appears here.
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
54
down vote
accepted
This sounds to me like Ted Chiang's "What's expected of us", posted online here. It matches the description of effect preceding cause, and ends with the line:
So why did I do it?
Because I had no choice.
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
add a comment |Â
up vote
54
down vote
accepted
This sounds to me like Ted Chiang's "What's expected of us", posted online here. It matches the description of effect preceding cause, and ends with the line:
So why did I do it?
Because I had no choice.
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
add a comment |Â
up vote
54
down vote
accepted
up vote
54
down vote
accepted
This sounds to me like Ted Chiang's "What's expected of us", posted online here. It matches the description of effect preceding cause, and ends with the line:
So why did I do it?
Because I had no choice.
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
This sounds to me like Ted Chiang's "What's expected of us", posted online here. It matches the description of effect preceding cause, and ends with the line:
So why did I do it?
Because I had no choice.
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
edited Aug 17 at 11:55
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
answered Aug 17 at 11:51
Fifth_H0r5eman
53625
53625
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
add a comment |Â
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
1
1
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
Perhaps put the ending in spoilers?
– Carl
Aug 17 at 16:20
6
6
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
It was already mentioned in the question.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 16:49
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl, I originally did, but TheLethalCarrot's edit removed them, likely because he believed they weren't required
– Fifth_H0r5eman
Aug 17 at 17:06
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
@Carl I just read the “article†and I didn’t feel like having read the final two sentences first made it less enjoyable. Also, after reading the question (which states that the story involves the absence of free will), these two sentences are a logical consequence.
– 11684
Aug 17 at 19:01
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
As a short story, this appears to be (or be based on) "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", by Isaac Asimov (published 1948).
Thiotimoline was extracted from rose hips, as I recall, and was so impossibly soluble in water that it dissolved some 1.12 seconds before the water was added. This, with photoelectric detection of dissolution of the powder triggering adding water to another sample, was the basis of the "thiotimoline battery" which would signal an arbitrary length of time before it was triggered -- no matter what the triggering event (if you firmly decided, after the battery signaled, that you were not going to trigger it, an event -- disaster -- as big as necessary would cause triggering).
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
As a short story, this appears to be (or be based on) "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", by Isaac Asimov (published 1948).
Thiotimoline was extracted from rose hips, as I recall, and was so impossibly soluble in water that it dissolved some 1.12 seconds before the water was added. This, with photoelectric detection of dissolution of the powder triggering adding water to another sample, was the basis of the "thiotimoline battery" which would signal an arbitrary length of time before it was triggered -- no matter what the triggering event (if you firmly decided, after the battery signaled, that you were not going to trigger it, an event -- disaster -- as big as necessary would cause triggering).
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
up vote
13
down vote
As a short story, this appears to be (or be based on) "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", by Isaac Asimov (published 1948).
Thiotimoline was extracted from rose hips, as I recall, and was so impossibly soluble in water that it dissolved some 1.12 seconds before the water was added. This, with photoelectric detection of dissolution of the powder triggering adding water to another sample, was the basis of the "thiotimoline battery" which would signal an arbitrary length of time before it was triggered -- no matter what the triggering event (if you firmly decided, after the battery signaled, that you were not going to trigger it, an event -- disaster -- as big as necessary would cause triggering).
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
As a short story, this appears to be (or be based on) "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", by Isaac Asimov (published 1948).
Thiotimoline was extracted from rose hips, as I recall, and was so impossibly soluble in water that it dissolved some 1.12 seconds before the water was added. This, with photoelectric detection of dissolution of the powder triggering adding water to another sample, was the basis of the "thiotimoline battery" which would signal an arbitrary length of time before it was triggered -- no matter what the triggering event (if you firmly decided, after the battery signaled, that you were not going to trigger it, an event -- disaster -- as big as necessary would cause triggering).
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
answered Aug 17 at 11:30
Zeiss Ikon
7,0621139
7,0621139
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
add a comment |Â
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
1
1
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
I thought of this while reading the question as well. As usual for Asimov, there was a lot of thought put into it. I especially liked his idea of chaining them to lengthen the duration of the pre-saturation, as well as its application as a hurricane bomb.
– Vanguard3000
Aug 17 at 18:02
add a comment |Â
up vote
11
down vote
I found the answer to my own question. The Story is "Whats expected of us" by Ted Chiang and it appears here.
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
add a comment |Â
up vote
11
down vote
I found the answer to my own question. The Story is "Whats expected of us" by Ted Chiang and it appears here.
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
add a comment |Â
up vote
11
down vote
up vote
11
down vote
I found the answer to my own question. The Story is "Whats expected of us" by Ted Chiang and it appears here.
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
I found the answer to my own question. The Story is "Whats expected of us" by Ted Chiang and it appears here.
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
edited Aug 17 at 11:57
TheLethalCarrot
32.3k13182222
32.3k13182222
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
answered Aug 17 at 11:52
Krit
36429
36429
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
add a comment |Â
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
18
18
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
You should be able to accept your own answer 48 hours after posting the question (as your accounts are now merged). However, another user posted the same answer at around the same time you wrote this so you could also accept that one.
– TheLethalCarrot
Aug 17 at 12:00
add a comment |Â
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James Hogan wrote a novel titled The Two Faces of Tomorrow that had a vague similarity to this, but lacked the simple future-triggered device.
– Zeiss Ikon
Aug 17 at 11:50
Hello there, and welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy. If you want to, stop by in chat, you should have enough reputation to do so.
– SQB
Aug 17 at 12:05
vsauce did this experiment in his "Mind Field" YouTube series.
– tkausl
Aug 18 at 11:53
2
Although there may be a short story with this premise, there was a real scientific experiment which tested this using state-of-the-art functional brain imaging and managed to predict which button a person would press before they were consciously aware of it themselves a remarkable percentage of the time.
– forest
Aug 19 at 3:50
1
Silly scientists, confusing the thought (decision of which button to press) with its expression (internally verbalized words expressing the thought.)
– JRE
Aug 19 at 22:56