I don’t know how long this has been available (I have looked before, but was unable to find it), but I just noticed that Douglas Robertson’s “Algorithmic information theory, free will, and the Turing test” is available online. This paper has been highly influential in ID circles, as can be attested by its citation list.
The main thrust of the paper is that, solely on the basis of mathematics, any mathematical physical theory is incapable of producing consciousness as we know it. The reason for this is that mathematics are incapable of producing mathematical axioms. Therefore, a mathematical physical theory is incapable of producing the mathematical axioms on which it is based.
The paper is a fantastic read, and anyone who is interested in ID or in the relationship of mind to matter should give it a read. It is definitely both readable and worthwhile.
Robertson’s conclusion is this:
The existence of free will and the associated ability of mathematicians to devise new axioms strongly suggest that the ability of both physics and mathematics to model the physical universe may be more sharply limited than anyone has believed since the time of Newton.
Now, I actually disagree with this, at least in a way. I think we will continue to advance in our models of the universe, but I think we will have to rethink the *types* of models we come up with. The models we have looked at so far are deterministic, past-determines-future models. I think we will need to be looking at non-deterministic, future-influences-present models in order to accurately model the universe as we find it.
For those interested in these kinds of topics, remember that there is a conference this summer covering these things and their practical applications – The Engineering and Metaphysics 2012 Conference. I hope to see you there!