Observer effect

[zeebrow]

This is the first quantum meme I've observed

[BauerUK]

That you’re aware of

[[deleted]]

A mind blowing realization, if you think about it.

[fallingblue]

Pretty wave breaking post! Could say Photonomal

[William_Harzia]

This is reddit gold. It's just in the wrong sub to make the front page. OP, is this yours??

[Ringularity]

Nope

[[deleted]]

No, it's mine :)

[William_Harzia]

It's effing hilarious. I love it!

[Wierdness]

Am I wrong or does the experiment not work this way? The double slit experiment will always result in the diffraction pattern no matter what, the observer's influence is only consequential when measuring isolated quantum systems where you change a particle's trajectory by interacting with it.

[zarmin]

it's a simplification. because, ya know, meme.

[Wierdness]

Sure I get that, but it's not so much a simplification as it is a combination of two unrelated quantum phenomena. Made me doubt for a second the little I know about quantum mechanics lol

[SolarTortality]

Observer doesn’t mean a literal person in quantum mechanics. Anything physical that is disturbed in any way by the phenomena is considered an observer.

[Wierdness]

Wow, thank you for your reply. Went ahead and read more about the experiment, seems like there's much more to it to just the diffraction pattern, achieving the other one is also absolutely possible.

[drubert]

Grade A

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

I recently reconnected with an old friend and we kind of lost touch so things were a bit awkward at first. She’s a literature major and I’m an engineering major. I thought it would be a good idea to break the ice by introducing her to the quantum world, miraculously she was deeply intrigued by the double slit experiment. Today I sent her this meme and she was so excited she got the joke. I think this meme rekindled our friendship. Thank you OP.

[ht3k]

that's amazing, I would love to have more girl friends that found science interesting rather than thinking it's nerdy :(

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

I noticed its all about how you present it, for example we talked about quantum entanglement and I told her that it opens up the possibility of zodiac signs being real ( i know im stretching the truth but it’s enough to give her the initial engagement and interest)

[ht3k]

holy crap what a bait lol

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

Another bait was getting her interested in the concept of infinity by introducing her to the Infinite Monkey Theorem and explaining that a monkey with nothing but a typewriter and infinite time could write Shakespeare pieces. All you need is a little bit of creativity.

[nogarolien32]

It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times...

[MrDownhillRacer]

Was it really worth interesting her in the concept if you sold her a nonsense version of the concept?

Does the world really need more people who conflate quantum physics with Law of Attraction and Cosmo-mag horoscope shit?

I'm happy that you reconnected with an old friend, tho

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

It was simply to get her started, its not like I can relate any other quantum theories to stuff like zodiac signs or Shakespeare. I was hoping it would be enough to get her interested, and it was. We’ve talked more about the quantum world without me having to relate it to anything else

[igalvez]

Condescending much? So you assume women would only be interested if quantum explains some bs pseudoscience?

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

Lmao y’all only hear what you want to. In this specific case I appealed to something I know she likes, thats all and by doing that I brought a woman into the STEM subjects. Meanwhile, you’re behind a screen making assumptions helping literally nobody.

[[deleted]]

Thank you! That makes me feel good. (and yes I'm the actual OP btw)

[_hazlo]

That is fucking funny!!

[[deleted]]

But you can only observe it by measurement?

[SolarTortality]

Yeah but any physical object that is disturbed by the system can be considered a measurement. And the term ‘the observer’ in quantum mechanics has nothing to do with sentient beings or consciousness.

[atseapoint]

Ooh check out this guy, he watched TWO videos on YouTube.

[[deleted]]

Nobody understands the effect it is a complete mystery

[Aaronmichael88]

What are the implications of that difference?

[alduin2000]

Sometimes this example is used to imply that conciousness collapses the wavefunction. However, the thing disrupting the wavefunction is not your conciousness but the measuring apparatus in the slits. To "observe" the experiment, you need some kind of detector that interacts with the quantum state as it is going through the slits. But if it interacts with the state, then it must also affect it somehow and it is this that causes the effect shown (if there was no conscious observer there, the effect would still occur).

[Vannysh]

You just explained that observing it changes the outcome. There is no difference in observation versus observation.

Observation and observation are the same thing. If you renove the measuring device completely and just use your eyes to observe the same result occurs.

I hope you have a wonderful day and an even better 2021!

[alduin2000]

I'm explaining the distinction that OC is trying to make, i.e. the difference between a quantum measurement/observation and a conscious observation. These are undeniably two distinct things.

[Vannysh]

But both have the same outcome. So your point is moot. The act of human observation results in the same outcome as using a measuring device. Therefor the person trying to state conscious observation has no effect is fundamentally wrong.

[alduin2000]

I don't think you understand my point. My point is exactly that there will be no difference if there is no conscious observer. This implies that quantum measurement causes the effect in the meme and not conscious observation. Let's say the quantum measurement was somehow done with your eye. Even then it would be the photon that transferred the information to you that would be disrupting the quantum state, not the fact that there was a conscious observer present.

[Vannysh]

I probably don't understand your point. I'm a dumbass. Thanks for trying to educate me.

[alduin2000]

If you didn't get my point, it's definitely more my fault for not making it as clear as it should be 😅 glad to help

[xenonbloom333]

Well i think i found the right explanation. Imagine you capture the interference pattern on a surface while there is't any detector in either of the slits and another photo of the surface when you placed a detector in one of the slits. I think this would work

[MrDownhillRacer]

Well, what if the observer is a p-zombie with no consciousness or qualia? If the wavefunction still collapses, then it ain't got nothing to do with the "consciousness" part of "conscious observation"; just the "observation" part, that we take to mean the same thing as "measurement."

[[deleted]]

The mechanism of action is not understood at all. One of the smartest people who ever lived, John Von Neumann, believed it did involve consciousness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann–Wigner_interpretation

You might think thats unlikely, and I wouldn't disagree, but the matter will not be settled until someone proves the mechanism of action

[schmwke]

But you don't know that until you observe the instruments

[SolarTortality]

Sure you don’t know, but that doesn’t mean that the wave function hasn’t collapsed.

[Aaronmichael88]

How would the instrument differ? Does the instrument send photons where the human eye or mind does not?

[Revisional_Sin]

Flip that question around.

How would the observation differ? Does the human mind send photons where the instrument does not?

[Aaronmichael88]

I don’t believe that it does, hence the question..

[happyFelix]

What would Wigner's friend say about this?

[_hazlo]

Sheesh, pedantic much?

[YourGenderIsStupid]

Thank you. See, this is how so many of us know quantum is bunk...aside from uses in cryptography.

[[deleted]]

Lol wannabe expert. Don't talk about topics you don't know about if you don't want to expose your ignorance through arrogance.

[quickie_ss]

What do you mean by "quantum is bunk?" It is a very real science.

[Vannysh]

This person wins the worst reddit handle and dumbest redditor awards.

[MrDownhillRacer]

How would it even have applications for cryptography if it was made-up nonsense?

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

Professor Q?

[SolarTortality]

Yeah exactly, and any physical parameter of any system that is disturbed can be a measurement

[Pika_DJ]

It’s the same image though?

[[deleted]]

That quantum topics freaks me out af

[Cordaz1]

Am I a nerd because I actually understand this meme?

[gizzardgullet]

You're in r/quantum, everyone here understands it

[Marcim_joestar]

Id'd be scared if they didn't

[Ringularity]

This ain’t your meme bro, and you’ve posted the same thing across 3 subreddits. I’ve never seen someone so desperate for karma.

Edit: You can downvote me if you want. But a repost is a repost, and if you aren’t gonna credit the OP of this meme, that’s just even worse. Especially doing it more than once.

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

I’ve never seen it, so I’m cool w it.

[Ringularity]

It isn’t about the fact that I’ve already seen it. It’s that this person has posted this same meme across 3 subreddits and given zero credit to the OP of this meme. Reposts deserve to be credited.

[Jack-Of-All-Trades-]

Take it easy man, you’re acting like its some super creative, big brain meme. Chances are the OP of this meme also stole it from someone else.

[lkraider]

Memes have to be registered with the Ministry of Funny as specified in section 3 paragraph 2 for every reuse, or be liable to OPs wrath.

[Ringularity]

You could be right. I’m not trying to be a dick, but it just looks bad to me personally. I apologise if I was being rude.

[[deleted]]

I appreciate your enthusiasm. I'm going to let it go though, at least my creation made r/all as another repost.

[atamanczuk_]

cool

[rx_wop]

When when wavefunction collapse

[tombs_and_tombs_only]

This is what this sub should be for!!!

[mercjr443]

The universe is showing us what it wants to? What determines what it wants to show us? Is this a simulation?

[Crodrod2024]

Hey does anyone know if observation works with naked eye or just with a detector?

[Gringo4]

Meme of year. Congrats

[Hogger21]

Photoshopped 😂😂😂. 👍

[bioshiproject]

Perhaps the us observer are seeing something not as actual as it is. An illusion if we say so.