X-Message-Number: 21064
From: 
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 16:35:03 EST
Subject: Re:  #21057 quantum observation

--part1_21.2b2e7d73.2b72dd87_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit



> Whether in reality particles, and systems in general, "exist" before 
> observation, is a complex and fairly subtle question about which debate 
> continues as it has for a century. I have already pointed out that words 
> like 
> "particle" in the quantum arena are only metaphors, to be handled with 
> tongs 
> while holding your nose. 
> 
> Robert Ettinger 
> 
In quantum mechanics, an observation don't implies that someone is here to 
look at something. Observation is synonymous with interaction. If a gamma ray 
produces a track somewhere, that track is the result of many interactions 
with the surrounding medium, each such interaction is an observation of the 
gamma ray. So the track is a set of observations. If the gamma ray was never 
observed, that is, if there was no interaction with anything along its 
trajectory, at the start and end points then for anything in the universe it 
don't exist. This is not philosophy: Something with no interaction with 
anything has no reality.

Yvan Bozzonetti.

--part1_21.2b2e7d73.2b72dd87_boundary

 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"

[ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] 

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21064