The question can be asked what axioms would be required in order to predict everything that happens in the universe?

How amazing would it be if just a few axioms, perhaps just the 10 of ZFC, were required to derive logical proofs of everything that has ever happened, including what I ate from breakfast today? This might be Albert Einstein’s understanding of God having no choice in creating the Universe. However, this is almost certainly not the case.

This would be a fact of determinism though. Perhaps, if not just a few axioms, if you knew the exact state of every atom in the universe at some point in the past, using the rules of interaction within the universe, you could permanently tell the future. Including what I had for breakfast this morning. Given that everything is strictly deterministic.

An opposing view to this that there is some inherent randomness in the universe. This is essentially saying that probability exists as a real feature. Therefore, even if you knew the exact state of the universe, you would not be able to make predictions past the next introduction of randomness, whether that be in each moment or only infrequently.

The only third option is that there are outside forces acting on the universe, be it God or freewill of individuals. Consider a video game…even if you know the current state of the variables and there is no mechanism for randomness, if you don’t know what controls the user is going to input you cannot accurately predict the future.

So which one do you believe?