Are We Real?

[Avatar]

BTW...there is now empirical evidence that, roughly speaking...not only is Schrodinger's cat in some weird dual state, but just by WATCHING the box, you can STOP anything from happening...[kinda-sorta, I ain't gonna spoiler your brain thoughts].
A watched cat never lives/dies...[ya see how that weirds out "it isn't either UNTIL you look", right?]
so to speak.

Just link damn it. It's not like anybody is arguing about it. Anyway, makes sense. Isn't it a pretty standard assumption in quantum mechanics that simply observing something alters the thing that's being observed?

--A

[Vraith]

BTW...there is now empirical evidence that, roughly speaking...not only is Schrodinger's cat in some weird dual state, but just by WATCHING the box, you can STOP anything from happening...[kinda-sorta, I ain't gonna spoiler your brain thoughts].
A watched cat never lives/dies...[ya see how that weirds out "it isn't either UNTIL you look", right?]
so to speak.

Just link damn it. It's not like anybody is arguing about it. Anyway, makes sense. Isn't it a pretty standard assumption in quantum mechanics that simply observing something alters the thing that's being observed?

--A

Okay, fine. You're lazy and no fucking fun, though.
It's related to that observation thing...it's just one of the odder particulars.

[[and a little older than I thought---first published about 2 years ago]]

https://phys.org/news/2015-10-zeno-effe ... -wont.html

[Avatar]

I am the laziest person I know. (Except maybe the GF...we'd argue about who was lazier, if we weren't so lazy.)

Thanks, interesting article.

--A

[Skyweir]

mmm.. that was an interesting read

warning probably stupid question alert

... but werent the atoms affected by the light and other external influences and thats what made them unobservable .. not move.

If possible please keep response aimed at a simple mind lol

Please forgive lack of punctuation it is intentional

[Vraith]

... but werent the atoms affected by the light and other external influences and thats what made them unobservable .. not move.

No, if they were then the experiment wouldn't demonstrate anything.
The apparatus shielded the material from external influences.
The temperature put the material in the ground state, and the laser didn't have the energy to cause a change to that ground state.

It's sorta like this:
Imagine you're a cop with a laser speed gun.
While you're zapping away at traffic, you don't expect your gun to stop the cars you tag [[and then take off again as soon as you stop firing]]...they should just keep doing what cars do---killing cats, causing respiratory illness, heat waves, and everyone to think THEY're amazing navigators and talented drivers it's all the OTHER fucks that cause collisions and dangerous traffic.

At least that's what it looks like in that article...it's not exactly comprehensive.

Edited to add: I think I didn't make it clear with my example. In the case of this experiment/prediction, they did, in fact, expect the cars to change behavior...because it's quantum and weird, the prediction was precisely that such a nonsensical seeming thing would happen...and it did.

[Skyweir]

Ok .. but didnt the atoms not move when the introduced light to observe them

[Vraith]

Ok .. but didnt the atoms not move when the introduced light to observe them

Yea...as predicted.
And the fact that the prediction was true/correct is precisely the WTF factor.
Everyone "knows" by now that the observer effect is real.
But does anyone at all know why it's real, how it works?
I don't think so...cuz they're fighting about it all the time.

[Cord Hurn]

Ok .. but didnt the atoms not move when the introduced light to observe them

Yea...as predicted.
And the fact that the prediction was true/correct is precisely the WTF factor.
Everyone "knows" by now that the observer effect is real.
But does anyone at all know why it's real, how it works?
I don't think so...cuz they're fighting about it all the time.

Certainly I haven't been able to figure out how it works, yet.

[Skyweir]

V,
I truly have no idea how that worked. Id love to understand it but .. dont.


So the researchers predicted that the atoms would stop moving when light was introduced and they were right.

I still dont understand why it was the ancillary action of observing the atoms, and not the principal action of the presence of light, that effected the atoms movement, that is the conclusion.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

The Observer Effect is real because atoms are shy creatures and don't like people looking at them all the time.

[Skyweir]

Hahahaha

Do they mind other beings looking at them or is it just a people voyeurphobic thing

[Skyweir]

Also if the observer effect is real, doesnt it presume that atoms possess an awareness.

Or even sentience or consciousness.

That seems incredible. I mean ok, maybe atoms possess a degree of consciousness... and it is that awareness that regulated their response .. ceasing movement ..

To me thats some WTF factor, yep WTF ..

Kind of sounds a little like self fulfilling prediction. That the observers have assigned subjectivity element to the observer effect. Is that unreasonable.

I think Im hung up on the observer effect. Of course lacking understanding of the experiments lol

I find it easier to understand the scenario if it was the introduction of light which caused the observer response, caused the atoms to stop moving. A response to the light not being observed.

Ok ok so the is it the light which represents observation. Would the result be the same or similar if the experiment somehow enabled atoms to be observed without light.

I.e give them fluorescent quality or could be viewed with sufficient non to low light spectral range techniques.