Title: Observer Effect: Concept, Explanation and Significance
Headings: What Is The Observer Effect In Quantum Mechanics?
What Is The Observer Effect In Quantum Mechanics?
The Fundamentals
Observation Affects Reality
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Content: They then sent a current of electrons towards the barrier. The observer in this experiment was not human. Instead, they used a tiny electron detector that could spot the presence of passing electrons. The quantum “observer’s” capacity to detect electrons could be altered by changing its electrical conductivity, or the strength of the current passing through it. Apart from “observing,” or detecting the electrons, the detector had no effect on the current. Even so, the scientists found that the very presence of the detector “observer” near one of the openings caused changes in the interference pattern of the electron waves passing through the openings of the barrier. In fact, this effect was dependent on the “amount” of observation: when the “observer’s” capacity to detect electrons increased, in other words, when the level of the observation went up, the interference weakened; in contrast, when its capacity to detect electrons was reduced, and the observation slackened, the interference increased. Thus, by controlling the properties of the quantum observer, the scientists managed to control the extent of its influence on the electrons’ behavior!