this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2024
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Science Memes

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Don't look now (lemmy.zip)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (4 children)

How is the unobserved state ever known about, then?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We can observe the end result. E.g. observing the screen only, and you get wavelike behaviour. When you also observe the slit, the wavelike behaviour disappears, and it seems particle like.

Both end in an observation, 1 has an extra observation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

yeah so if I looked at a log of all that, wouldn’t I have a “extra observer” detector, then?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

You could detect decoherence in the system, that doesn't indicate a human observer, however.

That process is, however, used to protect cryptographic keys, transfered between banks. A hostile observer collapses the state early. The observer gets the key instead of the 2nd bank, which is extremely conspicuous to both banks.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

It is "guessed" using whatever mathematical model that matches the system.

Of course, if our whole theory is wrong, then the guess will be wrong and we won't know unless some condition arises where the predicted result and the observed result are different.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

You observe the result, not the experiment while it is running.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

They say, “I’m not peeking” but cross their fingers behind their back.