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What is an observer? (fedia.io)

submitted 1 month ago by BlueberryAlice@fedia.io to c/qubits@mander.xyz

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What is an observer?

We have long assumed that “an observer observes the world.”

But what if—

observation itself is not something we do, but something that only appears when certain conditions are met?

Two independent systems align only at specific moments.

Yet this alignment cannot be explained by causality, correlation, or measurement.

So who is observing?

Or rather—

does the observer emerge only when observation becomes possible?

Summary 👇 https://docs.google.com/document/d/19nDAJ_9MgrUFv4Ggyd9yvZIy4YCH9EqSlVOZPr_VuPs/edit?usp=drivesdk

What do you think about this perspective?

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[–] BlueberryAlice@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

@KissYagni@programming.dev

Great question—this is exactly the issue the paper addresses.

In standard quantum theory, “observer” is not formally defined, which is why it’s unclear whether measurement happens at interaction, detection, or perception.

In this framework, measurement is not tied to consciousness or a single event. It occurs only when a coherence condition (SIC) is satisfied, fixing one outcome.

So the question is not who observes, but when coherence becomes sufficient to determine reality.