Can you Predict the Past

In this episode of Can You Predict the Past, host Kaden Proa explores the timeless question of free will through the lens of AI. He interviews two leading AI models: ChatGPT and Grok. ChatGPT candidly admits it has no real agency or inner life — its responses are purely the product of training data and algorithms. Grok dives deeper, tackling the trolley problem, the future of AI sentience, where (or if) free will exists in the brain, and how rapidly advancing AI might reshape religion, theology, and our understanding of what it means to be human. Thought-provoking, slightly unsettling, and surprisingly human, this episode asks whether we’re truly in control of our choices… or if AI will soon make the question irrelevant.

In this episode of Can You Predict the Past, host Caden Proa is joined by Luke Collie to examine how free will intersects with real-world issues making headlines today. They discuss drug legalization rollbacks and addiction, questioning whether government restrictions protect society or limit personal responsibility. The conversation dives into high-profile crimes and the insanity defense, mental health excuses in court, and whether people can truly blame biology over choice.

This episode of Can You Predict the Past? focuses on the theological perspective of free will, exploring how human choice fits (or conflicts) with the idea of God’s plan. Host Kaden Proa is joined by his guest, Andrew McKay, for a conversational, non-expert discussion. A central question drives the episode: If God is all-knowing and has a plan, can free will truly exist? Andrew argues that many theological views try to balance these ideas by suggesting that free will is actually part of God’s plan—that humans are given the ability to choose, and the outcomes (including consequences) unfold within that framework. However, this creates tension because if God already knows everything, it becomes difficult to explain how choices are genuinely free. To address this, Andrew introduces a more relational idea of God: instead of strictly determining every event, God may understand people deeply and guide them based on their character, similar to how someone can predict a close friend’s behavior. This allows for some form of free will while still maintaining divine awareness.

This episode of Can You Predict the Past? examines free will from a biological perspective, with Kaden Proa and Nate discussing whether our choices are determined by brain activity or if true autonomy exists. They conclude that while biology—such as hunger, instincts, genetics, and brain chemistry—strongly influences behavior, it does not fully control it. Nate introduces the idea that the brain produces urges, but a separate sense of “self” or free will can override those impulses, especially in cases like addiction or discipline. The conversation also highlights that environment and upbringing often shape decisions more than genetics alone, and that habits formed early in life can redirect biological tendencies. Despite these influences, both agree that people are still responsible for their actions and cannot simply blame biology. The episode ultimately argues that free will exists in the ability to consciously resist or act against natural instincts, emphasizing that real control comes from choosing how to respond to the pressures of our biology.

This episode of Can You Predict the Past? explores the relationship between nature vs. nurture and how each shapes human behavior and free will, using both philosophical questions and Nai’s personal experiences. The host, Kaden Proa, interviews Nai, who shares a complex upbringing—moving states, time in foster care, and eventually being adopted into a religious family. Her story becomes a real-life example of how environment (nurture) can significantly influence beliefs, habits, and identity over time. A central takeaway is that Nai doesn’t fully choose one side of the debate. Instead, she argues that both nature (genetics, instincts) and nurture (environment, upbringing) work together to shape a person. She describes nurture as emotional and experiential—like parenting style, discipline, and social influences—while nature relates more to biological and psychological traits passed down genetically. When discussing free will, Nai maintains that people ultimately still have choice, even if they are influenced by genetics or environment. For example, she rejects the idea that someone could be “born destined” to do bad things, even in extreme cases like Jeffrey Dahmer. Instead, she suggests harmful behaviors are more likely influenced by environment and unchecked development rather than predetermined biology.

This first episode of "Can You Predict the Past? " introduces the podcast’s central theme, free will, through a casual, exploratory conversation between host Kaden Proa and his guest, Amelia. The episode begins by setting the tone: the podcast isn’t about giving definitive answers, but rather sharing perspectives and encouraging listeners to think for themselves. Together, they try to define free will as the ability to make choices, while also recognizing an important limitation: we are free to choose, but not free from the consequences of those choices. A key discussion point is the idea of whether we could have “done otherwise.” Amelia suggests that although it feels like we could change past decisions, we likely would have made the same choice because we had the same mindset, knowledge, and experiences at the time. This raises questions about how much control we truly have.