The observer effect on ATS.

If people look at a topic, does it exist, only so far as to when people are looking at it? And when people stop looking at it does it cease to exist when people have stopped looking at it and not replying to it and then does it exist in the past?

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
If people look at a topic, does it exist, only so far as to when people are looking at it? And when people stop looking at it does it cease to exist when people have stopped looking at it and not replying to it and then does it exist in the past?

Quantum posting, that's all we need!

To answer your question: Yes with an "if", no with a "but". Or vice versa.



[edit on 8/20/2008 by schrodingers dog]

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
If people look at a topic, does it exist, only so far as to when people are looking at it? And when people stop looking at it does it cease to exist when people have stopped looking at it and not replying to it and then does it exist in the past?

Sometimes a topic will drop off the bottom of the page (below zero point), at which time, since I am no longer observing it, it will revert to a more virtual state. The act of my observing the topic has a definite effect on it, since the number of "views" changes every time I do, slightly yet ultimately changing the importance of the topic, itself. My viewing might encourage others to do so, giving it more energy and thus keeping the thread actual and above zero point.

In this particular forum, however, similar if not identical topics appear at seemingly regular intervals, leading me to suspect that the topics may be influenced by other, unseen variables beyond my perception.

How apt that Shrodinger's Dog follows a question resembling Shrodinger's Cat.

*rolls with laughter*

I've always thought the frequency of similar posts, intriguing yet ignored posts, and practically all posts are a bit "quarky."

Cheers!

reply to post by Nohup


I believe the OP with 12000 poits plus is aware of that.

I think he is referring to issues of quantum observation.

One of the most bizarre premises of quantum theory, which has long fascinated philosophers and physicists alike, states that by the very act of watching, the observer affects the observed reality. Science Daily

[edit on 8/20/2008 by schrodingers dog]

But this is the real reason for moderators. These guys are doing a noble job - constantly looking at threads so they will not go into Limbo. And since number of threads grow very fast, each person has to observe several threads in a shifts. Sweatshop, really.
Imagine if one of them blinks! The whole thread on recent war with thousands of replies can vanish without a trace.

Well, obviously, if no one is viewing a topic. for all tenses and purposes, it doesn't exist.

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Quantum politics

You mean Quantum Posting.

Frankly, I like the Black Hole Theory of Posting, as many threads seem to suck ordinary logic right out of the known universe.

reply to post by loam


Yes I did, thanks, I amended as can now be observed!

Rashaverak thanks for pointing that out, though I hated that cat soooo much, he did teach me a valuable lesson. Nice box you got there schrodinger, but I don't think so.


[edit on 8/20/2008 by schrodingers dog]

The creator of a thread is also an observer. Or did you guys forget that? What can happen is that a member can not notice a thread, or the thread will not even exist in his reality.

reply to post by TheBandit795


Wait, what?
Do I need to observe that the poster was an observer to the thread of the member who's also the writer. And most importantly does the member who both wrote and observed the thread need to be observing me observing?
Is that right?
Please don't observe your reply cause we'll have to start from scratch!

The Self of my infinite multitudinous Self's in a superposition state are all encompassing in all and every moment/s of time and space and are subsequently doing all the nessecary task/s for my enhanced observation and interaction of all and any said task/s at all and any given point.
Hence in laymans terms; all bases are indeed covered

[edit on 20-8-2008 by Epsillion70]

reply to post by Epsillion70


That's all well and good for you to superpose, but my continuum limit as per the Schrodinger equation, in the H matrix is an extra phase rotation which varies from point to point.
So what am I to do?