Neuroscience says there’s no such thing as free will. A psychologist explains why that might not be true

The question of free will is debatable. On one hand, we are able to make choices and freely act on them -if we fancy some crisps, we can choose to buy a packet and eat them. Or we can choose to eat a pastry or nothing at all. This certainly feels like free will.

On the other hand, neuroscience evidence clearly shows that the brain usually initiates our actions before we’re aware of them - our brain’s primary task is to regulate the body systems to keep us alive and well. However, our brain spends its days locked in a dark, silent box with no direct access to what’s going on outside.