Our choice or the universe? My bet is on the latter.



From an information-theoretic perspective, the question of whether individuals have influence over the length of their life on Earth can be examined through the lens of uncertainty and probability.

In information theory, entropy is a measure of uncertainty or randomness in a system. The higher the entropy, the more uncertain or unpredictable the outcome. In the context of human lifespan, if the claim that individuals have no influence over the length of their life were true, we would expect the entropy associated with lifespan to be high, as the outcome would be largely determined by factors outside of individual control.

However, if individuals can influence their lifespan through their choices and actions, we would expect the entropy associated with lifespan to be lower, as the outcome would be more predictable based on the information available about an individual’s lifestyle, access to healthcare, education, and other relevant factors.

To falsify the claim that individuals have no influence over their lifespan from an information-theoretic perspective, we would need to demonstrate that the entropy associated with lifespan is reduced when considering the information available about an individual’s choices and circumstances.

One way to approach this would be to compare the probability distributions of lifespan for individuals with different characteristics, such as those who adopt healthy lifestyle choices versus those who do not. If the probability distributions differ significantly, with those making healthier choices having a higher probability of a longer lifespan, this would suggest that individual choices do influence lifespan, reducing the entropy associated with the outcome.

However, it is important to note that even if the entropy associated with lifespan is reduced when considering individual choices and circumstances, it is unlikely to be reduced to zero. There will always be some degree of uncertainty and unpredictability in human lifespan, due to the complex interplay of various factors, including genetics, environment, and chance events.

Moreover, the information available about an individual’s choices and circumstances may be incomplete or subject to bias, further complicating the analysis. The relationship between individual choices and lifespan may also be non-linear and context-dependent, making it challenging to quantify the influence of specific factors on lifespan.

In conclusion, while an information-theoretic approach can provide a framework for examining the claim that individuals have no influence over their lifespan, falsifying this claim would require demonstrating a significant reduction in the entropy associated with lifespan when considering the information available about an individual’s choices and circumstances. However, the complexity of the factors influencing lifespan and the inherent uncertainty involved make it challenging to definitively falsify this claim from an information-theoretic perspective.