- #1
MetalBunnyLove
- 8
- 0
I'm not a physics major, I'm just very interested in quantum phenomena. I was hoping someone here could help iron out my interpretation of the Delayed Choice Experiment (in particular).
The double-slit experiment shows us essentially, that the act of observation creates a physical situation. Mainstream opinion, is that the very act of observation itself, regardless if it is by a conscious or non-conscious entity, is sufficient enough for the breakdown of a wave-function.
The ramifications of this opinion effectively remove any need for the role human consciousness to affect the outcome of the experiment.
Now, if this is the case, at what point during the experimental process does the non-conscious observercause the wave interference to collapse (if at all)?
For example, a non-conscious detector observes the path of a moving entity, and then prints out onto paper its "which-way" information. If common opinion is correct, then at the time the detector acquires the "which-way" information, the wave function collapses. So, regardless if a human were to read the information off the paper, the experimental outcome would already have been created, or in other words, the wave would have collapsed.
If I understand things correctly, the only way we can know non-conscious observation affected the experimental outcome is for us to read the information on the piece of paper. However, in doing so, it would cause the collapse of the wavefunction, even if the non-conscious observer had not. Therefore, we could never know that non-conscious observation is sufficient, because to say otherwise, we would be required to make an observation ourselves.
Am I missing something?
The double-slit experiment shows us essentially, that the act of observation creates a physical situation. Mainstream opinion, is that the very act of observation itself, regardless if it is by a conscious or non-conscious entity, is sufficient enough for the breakdown of a wave-function.
The ramifications of this opinion effectively remove any need for the role human consciousness to affect the outcome of the experiment.
Now, if this is the case, at what point during the experimental process does the non-conscious observercause the wave interference to collapse (if at all)?
For example, a non-conscious detector observes the path of a moving entity, and then prints out onto paper its "which-way" information. If common opinion is correct, then at the time the detector acquires the "which-way" information, the wave function collapses. So, regardless if a human were to read the information off the paper, the experimental outcome would already have been created, or in other words, the wave would have collapsed.
If I understand things correctly, the only way we can know non-conscious observation affected the experimental outcome is for us to read the information on the piece of paper. However, in doing so, it would cause the collapse of the wavefunction, even if the non-conscious observer had not. Therefore, we could never know that non-conscious observation is sufficient, because to say otherwise, we would be required to make an observation ourselves.
Am I missing something?