- #1
adfreeman
- 32
- 4
Hi, I’m new to the forum and I would like to ask some questions. I’m not a physicist –for some reason that I’ll always regret I chose Business Studies- and my knowledge of physics is limited to high school, physics books and documentaries; which I must have watched them all by now.
Anyway, for many years I’ve been intrigued by the same issues that Einstein had with quantum physics -for example, nonlocality, quantum entanglement, the observer effect (commonly confused with the uncertainty principle), and so on and so forth- so I would appreciate if anyone could help me solve my doubts.
The first issue, which is the simplest, is the observer effect on the double slit experiment. Every single physicist that I saw explaining the double slit experiment -Brian Green, Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and so on- reaches a point where he says that the observer is influencing the particles. For example: this is a literal quote from the first video about it that I found on YouTube “Dr Quantum –Double Slit Experiment”:
First of all, I think all these documentaries and physicists are confusing a lot of people with these claims and are creating a lot of controversy; as this is not the case: neither we can see the particles traveling through the double slit, nor the particle cares whether anyone is watching or not, and therefore our consciousness has no influence on the experiment. I just checked in the Wikipedia for curiosity, and at least they got it right: the observer refers to an instrument, not a person.
In any case, the experiment shows that if we do not try to find out through which slit the particle passed, it behaves as a wave, passing through both slits, and create an interference pattern; but if we try to determine it, then it behaves as a particle, and passes just through one slit. Now, my question is: doesn’t this mean that the equipment that is detecting the path of the particles is interfering with them, and therefore preventing it from passing through both slits and creating the interference pattern? If this is the case, what is all the fuzz then? Is it all because of those who claim the observer is a person, and therefore give the impression that physicist are claiming that mind over matter is a fact?
I’ll post the rest latter. Thanks for your help.
Anyway, for many years I’ve been intrigued by the same issues that Einstein had with quantum physics -for example, nonlocality, quantum entanglement, the observer effect (commonly confused with the uncertainty principle), and so on and so forth- so I would appreciate if anyone could help me solve my doubts.
The first issue, which is the simplest, is the observer effect on the double slit experiment. Every single physicist that I saw explaining the double slit experiment -Brian Green, Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and so on- reaches a point where he says that the observer is influencing the particles. For example: this is a literal quote from the first video about it that I found on YouTube “Dr Quantum –Double Slit Experiment”:
“The particle behaved differently, because it was aware that it was been watched.”
First of all, I think all these documentaries and physicists are confusing a lot of people with these claims and are creating a lot of controversy; as this is not the case: neither we can see the particles traveling through the double slit, nor the particle cares whether anyone is watching or not, and therefore our consciousness has no influence on the experiment. I just checked in the Wikipedia for curiosity, and at least they got it right: the observer refers to an instrument, not a person.
In any case, the experiment shows that if we do not try to find out through which slit the particle passed, it behaves as a wave, passing through both slits, and create an interference pattern; but if we try to determine it, then it behaves as a particle, and passes just through one slit. Now, my question is: doesn’t this mean that the equipment that is detecting the path of the particles is interfering with them, and therefore preventing it from passing through both slits and creating the interference pattern? If this is the case, what is all the fuzz then? Is it all because of those who claim the observer is a person, and therefore give the impression that physicist are claiming that mind over matter is a fact?
I’ll post the rest latter. Thanks for your help.
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