B Double Slit Experiment: Dumb question that needs to be asked

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The double slit experiment demonstrates that electrons create an interference pattern when unobserved, but a particle pattern when measured, regardless of whether the observer is human. The act of measurement, which can involve any interaction that provides "which-slit" information, disrupts the quantum coherence necessary for interference. The human eye itself does not play a role in this process; rather, the measurement involves scattering light or other interactions that affect the electron's state. Techniques like using polarizers illustrate how the relationship between their orientations determines the presence or absence of interference patterns. Ultimately, the key factor is whether the measurement allows for determination of the electron's path, not the act of observation itself.
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sillyputty said:
I don't think of it as separate.
In other words, you're ignoring the actual physics. The whole point is that the pattern you get with orthogonal polarizers at each slit (i.e., "which-way information") is different from the pattern you get with no polarizers. That's why we call the first a "diffraction pattern" (or two of them, one for each slit) and the second an "interference pattern". Thinking of them as "the same" is a misrepresentation of the physics.
 
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