WEBVTT

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Every day, we are faced with thousands of choices about what to wear, what to eat, and where to go.

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How do we decide what to do and what is the link between deciding and actually doing something?

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The common sense view is that “I” decide to do something and then “I” command my body to do it.

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Surprisingly, many neuroscientists believe that our sense of conscious agency, often called “free will,” is an illusion.

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They argue that our brains decide and then initiate the action for us.

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We don’t become consciously aware of the decision until shortly before the action occurs.

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So... Who’s in charge of your life?

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Are you free to choose your own actions and therefore are responsible for them?

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Or are you a “puppet on a string,” guided by forces that are out of your conscious control?

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In this activity we’ll explore some of the neuroscientific evidence at the center of this debate.