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submitted 2 weeks ago by Maven@lemmy.zip to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

could a record like this be used as a presence detector? Like if there was any observer who collapsed the wave function then we’d get the collapsed lines in the log, otherwise it would have indicated no observers? (obviously even what the hell is an ‘observer’ anyway?)

[-] Rhaedas@fedia.io 9 points 2 weeks ago

A log is an observance itself. Any measurement changes the state.

[-] rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

How is the unobserved state ever known about, then?

[-] cynar@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] cynar@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks 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.