Free Will: Does It Exist?
Science Vs

Free Will: Does It Exist?

B1IntermediateJuly 30, 202631 min

Will you hit play on this episode?? It feels like that decision is totally within your control — but what if it’s not? What if free will is just an illusion? Lots of people are using science to say that free will is a trick of the mind, that whether or not you listen to this episode, or eat a taco, or do a silly dance right now — it’s all predestined. But do we really have science receipts for that? We find out by talking to neuroscientist Prof. John-Dylan Haynes and theoretical physicist Prof. Sean Carroll. Find our...

Play episode

Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.

Try it: tap any word

Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.

Sentence 1 of 12 · 0:00

, , ,

the show that pits facts against free will.

Hear this sentence

Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.

Do you know these words?

8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.

  • B21:41
  • B24:31
  • B28:34
  • B212:28
  • C116:53
  • C221:04
  • B222:02
  • B228:13

Mark a few words and we'll tell you how this episode fits your level.

Is this episode right for you?

B1

B1 · Intermediate

Fine if you can follow simple news

A1 49%A2 28%B1 13%B2 10%C1 0%
  • 90% of the words are B1 or easier.
  • 151 words a minute: a natural pace.
  • 102 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

Transcript

The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.

0:00

Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman, and this is Science Versus, the show that pits facts against free will. Today on the show, does free will exist or is it just an illusion? It's a debate that scientists and philosophers

0:18

have been having for a very long time, but now the internet has entered the ring. There's a meme that's been going around social media, and in these videos you'll see people saying,

0:28

I just remembered I have free will, and then they do whatever the hell they want. In one, there's a guy who dumps all his silverware out into a drawer and mixes it up. He doesn't even sort the spoons from the forks. In another video, you'll see a man eating potato chips

That was the opening. The rest of the episode (31 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.

Continue in the player

Automatically generated from the audio. May contain errors. Audio belongs to its publisher and is played from their feed. Rights holders can request removal — copyright & takedown policy