s. i. :
I apologize in advance if you do not wish to participate in a one on one conversation of this sort. I have what is (hopefully) a simple question that is probably not worth starting a new thread.
It concerns the use of the word "observer" when referring to a particle in quantum theory. I have taken this word to mean any interaction with any part of the universe by the particle. Because we do experiments and are observing the particle, the convention seems to be to refer to these interactions as being "observed." Is it not true that a particle that exists in a state of superposition, does so until it interacts with some part of the rest of the universe and observation by a sentient being is irrelevant, in spite of its common usage in experiments?
I apologize in advance if you do not wish to participate in a one on one conversation of this sort. I have what is (hopefully) a simple question that is probably not worth starting a new thread.
It concerns the use of the word "observer" when referring to a particle in quantum theory. I have taken this word to mean any interaction with any part of the universe by the particle. Because we do experiments and are observing the particle, the convention seems to be to refer to these interactions as being "observed." Is it not true that a particle that exists in a state of superposition, does so until it interacts with some part of the rest of the universe and observation by a sentient being is irrelevant, in spite of its common usage in experiments?