unobserved reality

[exoticincense]

I read that if you don't observe or sense something then it doesn't exist....like on a quantum level particles only exist when you attempt to measure them.

[damian_steele]

Can you observe or sense radio signals? No? But your radio still works.

[celticqueen]

I can't observe the little man inside my laptop but he makes it work.

[Xaos]

If I can dare answer the question itself, as best I can.

When we're talking about 'measurement' we should be aware that there are countless ways to 'measure' an atom (etc.) and it's not necessary to actually see it to measure it; we can infer their existence from interactions!

But, to address the issue, measurement isn't always about confirming the existence of an atom, but rather its 'state' - before measurement, or before it interacts with anything, on the quantum level is has many eigenstates (multiple states) and it is only when it is measured or it interacts with something that the eigenstate collapses into a single state, i.e. the 'actual' state.

For more on eigenstates do a Google!

[pearlygirl555]

Thomas Edison believed your memory is managed by a staff of little men in your brain; when you can't remember something, it is because the wee one responsible for keeping that idea for you is off the clock at the moment. When the homonculus comes back, you will be able to recall that information again.

[Rindesayu]

Well in a sense your right, but only in a sense. If we don't acknowledge something it really doesn't exist to us. But if it's something such as being ill eventually it would be harder for us to not see it when we got sicker, or something similar. People in denial live that way, but normally crash out of it. Things wont exist for us unless we see things, and even then we can choose what we want to do with that "reality". It's just up to a person themselves to decide what the best choice of action to do with that information.

[TiasTreasures]

I think you're talking about something based on the philosophical puzzle of Schrödinger's cat. There's an article about it on Wikopedia. If you can understand it, let me know and please explain it. Quantum mechanics give me a headache.

Gorgeous cat, BTW!

[bykimbo]

I think you're talking about something based on the philosophical puzzle of Schrödinger's cat. There's an article about it on Wikopedia. If you can understand it, let me know and please explain it. Quantum mechanics give me a headache.

Gorgeous cat, BTW!

Get hold of a copy of Marcus Chown's Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, it's brilliant, funny and completely understandable to the lay person (I gave up physics at school at 13).

[Pink_Panther]

Well in a sense your right, but only in a sense. If we don't acknowledge something it really doesn't exist to us. But if it's something such as being ill eventually it would be harder for us to not see it when we got sicker, or something similar. People in denial live that way, but normally crash out of it. Things wont exist for us unless we see things, and even then we can choose what we want to do with that "reality". It's just up to a person themselves to decide what the best choice of action to do with that information.

So! In that case, if there is an extinction sized asteroid heading for earth.

One that no one See's or can acknowledge - then it just doesn't exist?

Thing is! It does exist! we just aint found the one yet.

We won't exist cos this rock will blast us all to atoms!

[pamelajonesart]

Everything that you can imagine exists