. ▁Steven ▁P ink er ' s ▁view ▁is ▁that ▁fear ▁of ▁determin ism ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁" gen et ics " ▁and ▁" e volution " ▁is ▁a ▁mistake , ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" a ▁confusion ▁of ▁explanation ▁with ▁ex cul p ation ". ▁Res p ons ibility ▁does ▁not ▁require ▁that ▁behavior ▁be ▁un ca used , ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁behavior ▁respond s ▁to ▁pra ise ▁and ▁bl ame . ▁Moreover , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁certain ▁that ▁environmental ▁determ ination ▁is ▁any ▁less ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁free ▁will ▁than ▁gen etic ▁determ ination . ▁ ▁Neu ros cience ▁and ▁ne uro ph il osoph y ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁become ▁possible ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁living ▁brain , ▁and ▁research ers ▁can ▁now ▁watch ▁the ▁brain ' s ▁decision - making ▁process ▁at ▁work . ▁A ▁sem inal ▁experiment ▁in ▁this ▁field ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁Benjamin ▁Lib et ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁asked ▁each ▁subject ▁to ▁choose ▁a ▁random ▁moment ▁to ▁f lick ▁their ▁w rist ▁while ▁he ▁measured ▁the ▁associated ▁activity ▁in ▁their ▁brain ; ▁in ▁particular , ▁the ▁build - up ▁of ▁elect rical ▁signal ▁called ▁the ▁read iness ▁potential ▁( after ▁German ▁Bere it schaft spot ential , ▁which ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁K orn h uber ▁& ▁De e cke ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 .). ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁that ▁the ▁read iness ▁potential ▁reli ably ▁preced ed ▁the ▁physical ▁action , ▁Lib et ▁asked ▁whether ▁it ▁could