How old is the universe?

[Asmodean]

Because an entity's ability to purposefully influence its surroundings does not say anything at all about said surroundings beyond that they can be influenced. It does not address their requirement for consciousness, should any such exist in the first place.

To put it this way, I can put on a kettle. What does that say about the kettle, except that it can be acted upon in a certain way by my own sweet self?

[zorkan]

But the universe is a chaotic place because people will pick flowers.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/paul_dirac_388049

[Asmodean]

"Chaotic" in what sense?

[zorkan]

Like a butterfly flaps its wings and it starts to rain on the other side of the world.
Newly discovered black hole sucks in a stellar mass every day because someone light years away picked a flower.

https://www.space.com/chaos-theory-explainer-unpredictable-systems.html

[Asmodean]

Ah. "Chaos" theory, which actually deals with highly-ordered, interdependent systems.

Within that scope... As long as one does not ignore that an effect may have compound causes, just as a cause can lead to multiple effects... It may be philosophically amusing, I suppose.