Very interesting essay. The idea that the universe is fundamentally deterministic is the logical consequence of Non-Contextuality, a deeply ingrained assumption rooted in classical mechanics. Determinism is stated as a fact and an argument against Free Will, but it is based on an assumption that cannot be empirically validated, and it leads to bizarre metaphysical implications.

Non-Contextuality is the idea that a system’s state is independent of its surroundings. It is the same assumption that denies Time’s Arrow and leads to the possibility that Schrodinger’s cat can exist in a superposition of dead cat/live cat, or that the universe is constantly and exponentially branching. Despite these bizarre metaphysical implications, they are consistent with observations and cannot be disproven. In fact, the Copenhagen Interpretation and the Many Words Interpretation are the two most accepted interpretations of quantum mechanics.

The WYSIWIG Conceptual Model [1,2] assumes no hidden variables, and “What You (can) See Is What You Get.” It is a strictly empirical, contextual, and objective interpretation of quantum mechanics and relativity. It accommodates irreversibility, randomness, and free will as fundamental.

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[1] WYSIWIG Physics and the end of Determinism. https://harrison-69935.medium.com/wysiwig-physics-and-the-end-of-certainty-132e86060a3d

[2] Time, Entropy, and Entanglement contextually defined. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202007.0469/v6