Unravelling Schroedinger's Cat: Exploring Observer Effects

[nepofazz]

Hello guys, I'm just new here.I have a question about observers.
This may be a stupid question , but here it goes.

We have let's say the Schroedinger's cat tought experiment.
The main question.If you have a particle in a superposition of states, of which all pure states have a different effect, like the mechanis in the experiment, which either triggers or not.
So, if the cat is the observer, doesn't it collapse the wave functin of the particle, just by observing the effect?
The first instant, tha cat sees the mechanism, it "decides" that it either kill it or not. So the moment that the cat's state is decided, isn't when we look at it, but rather when the cat looks at it (wich is the fist instant).

Is my logic wrong?...i just taught about, because i read about multi-word theories and stuff (on this exp.), and don't think that such complicated theories are needed in this case.

 

[kahoomann]

Hello guys, I'm just new here.I have a question about observers.
This may be a stupid question , but here it goes.

We have let's say the Schroedinger's cat tought experiment.
The main question.If you have a particle in a superposition of states, of which all pure states have a different effect, like the mechanis in the experiment, which either triggers or not.
So, if the cat is the observer, doesn't it collapse the wave functin of the particle, just by observing the effect?
The first instant, tha cat sees the mechanism, it "decides" that it either kill it or not. So the moment that the cat's state is decided, isn't when we look at it, but rather when the cat looks at it (wich is the fist instant).

Is my logic wrong?...i just taught about, because i read about multi-word theories and stuff (on this exp.), and don't think that such complicated theories are needed in this case.

To show how quantum superpositions contradict common sense, Schrödinger posited his cat-threatening device, in which the outcome of an atomic-scale quantum event would trigger, say, a gun to fire. If, said Schrödinger, the quantum system was in a superposition of the states that triggered and failed to trigger the gun, then the gun would simultaneously fire and not fire. The cat would be both killed and spared.

Fortunately, there is a way out of this illogical outcome. Every real system, whether quantum or 'classical' (such as a life-sized cat), is in contact with an external environment -- a messy, noisy collection of atoms whose state can never be perfectly known. This coupling between a quantum system in a superposition and the environment in which it is embedded leads the system to 'collapse' or decay over time into one state or another. This process is known as decoherence.

 

[denian]

Hello and welcome! Your question is a valid one and touches upon the concept of observer effects in quantum mechanics. In the famous Schrödinger's cat thought experiment, a cat is placed in a sealed box with a radioactive substance that may or may not trigger a mechanism that will kill the cat. According to quantum mechanics, before the box is opened and the cat is observed, the cat exists in a superposition of states where it is both alive and dead at the same time.

Your question is about whether the act of observation by the cat collapses the wave function and determines its state. This is a valid interpretation, but it is important to note that in quantum mechanics, observation does not necessarily mean conscious observation by a living being. It can also refer to any interaction or measurement that causes the wave function to collapse.

In the case of the Schrödinger's cat experiment, the act of measuring whether the cat is alive or dead is what causes the wave function to collapse and determines the cat's state. This can be done by opening the box and looking at the cat, or by using other methods such as measuring the radiation levels in the box.

As for the idea of complicated theories not being necessary in this case, it is important to remember that quantum mechanics is a complex and highly mathematical theory that has been extensively tested and verified through experiments. While there may be simpler interpretations of the Schrödinger's cat experiment, they may not fully capture the complexities of quantum mechanics and its implications.

In summary, your logic is not necessarily wrong, but it is important to understand that observation in quantum mechanics does not necessarily involve conscious observation by a living being and that the theory itself is complex and well-supported by evidence. I hope this helps clarify your question.