that shook the very foundations of  what we understand about free will.

Libet wanted to find out whether our  mind prepares for a movement before  

we are consciously aware of it — and so  he and his team set up an experiment.

Participants in the study were asked to flex  their wrists whenever they felt the urge to  

do so. While doing so, Libet monitored their  brain activity [EEG] through electrodes placed  

on their heads and found activity before  the people decided to move their hands.

In other words, the brain started the process,  way before the person decided to do it.

When we plot a graph measuring time and  brain activity, known as readiness potential,  

the movement started at time 0, participants  reported being aware of their decision  

150 milliseconds earlier, but the brain  actually began to act 500ms before the move.

It didn't take long before psychologists  and philosophers from all over the world  

discussed Libet's research and wondered:  If our brain initiates a decision before  

we're consciously aware of it, then  how "free" are our decisions, really?

And ever since, teams of scientists have  tried to replicate Libet's findings,  

with mixed conclusions.

Libet himself did not interpret his experiment  as evidence that our decisions are predetermined.  

He said: “The tendency to press a button  may be building up for 500 milliseconds,  

but the conscious mind retains the right  to veto any action at the last moment.”

What are your thoughts? And if our brain has  already started the process of making a decision  

before we're consciously aware of it, to what  extent are we truly in control? And if we are not,  

how would this influence our understanding  of personal responsibility for our actions?

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