- #1
sophia
Considering that certain areas in physics today rely on an observer, such as when considering the collaspse of a wavefunction, I think that we need a good physical definition of an observation.
So what is an observation? I like to think of it as a change in configuration or state. Think about it. When we make observations we look around us and adapt to the situation at hand. We change. And chimps, cats, or viruses are just as good at being obsrevers as we are. But what of inanimate objects? Surely a particle behaves in the same way, abeit not conciously. it changes to it's environment, for instance if hit by a photon it goes to a higher energy level. so particles and everything else is an observer.
I like this explanation, it makes things simpler. Consider Schroedinger paradox. the paticle dector observe the atoms decay and the wave function collaspes for it. the cat observes the poison gas and knows it dies, it doesn't need a human to tell it so. But we have not ob served it so the wavefunction does not colaspse for us.
I was just wondering what you thuoght of this.
So what is an observation? I like to think of it as a change in configuration or state. Think about it. When we make observations we look around us and adapt to the situation at hand. We change. And chimps, cats, or viruses are just as good at being obsrevers as we are. But what of inanimate objects? Surely a particle behaves in the same way, abeit not conciously. it changes to it's environment, for instance if hit by a photon it goes to a higher energy level. so particles and everything else is an observer.
I like this explanation, it makes things simpler. Consider Schroedinger paradox. the paticle dector observe the atoms decay and the wave function collaspes for it. the cat observes the poison gas and knows it dies, it doesn't need a human to tell it so. But we have not ob served it so the wavefunction does not colaspse for us.
I was just wondering what you thuoght of this.