Quantum computing capitalizes on the quantum-physics principle that a particle may be in two states at once, as long as it does not leave a record of either state. Unlike traditional computers, which are made of bits restrained to values of zero or one, a quantum computer would allow bits to have both values simultaneously, which would lead to much faster, more powerful processing.

But the advent of quantum computing promises to bring more than improved problem-solving. Such an increase in processing power could spell apocalypsefor current encryption methods. On a more existential level, according to Daniel Zajfman, some people are concerned that quantum computing could bring about the end of free will.

But, he said, physicists also believe in the theory of chaotic behavior, which, in Zajfman’s words, posits that “there’s something inherent in nature … that creates systems that are by definition chaotic.” That complicates the straightforward system of cause and effect, he said, because “the language of the cause and effect is so much dependent on very, very tiny changes”—for example, spending a few more seconds brushing your teeth on a given morning could make the difference between whether you get into a car crash that day or not.

This interdependence of details, commonly known as the butterfly effect, means that predicting the future with perfect accuracy is a problem that’s “almost impossible to solve,” Zajfman said. Free will, he said, is likely safe—at least from quantum computing. “But then again,” he added, “don’t believe anyone who tells you something is impossible.”