Observation
[Node to be completed]
Observation is an abstraction of knowledge from the impact made by
mappings F(Wi) of the world's states Wi on the states Wi themselves.
For instance, when we watch a paly of billiards, the positions of
the balls are registered by means of the light thrown on the balls and
reflected into our eyes. We rightfully believe that the effect of the
lighting on the movements of the balls is negligible, so we speak about the
play in a complete abstraction from the way we know about it. This separation
is not always possible. Quantum mechanics deals with actions so elementary
that the means we use to know of them cannot be abstracted from.
Our ususal 'classic' notions of space and time include the abstraction
of observation. Indeed, the mental construction of a reference frame
uses shiftes and waits which are assumend to have no effect on the studied
processes; for quantum-mechanical processes this assumption is not valid,
and the classic space-time frame of reference looses its legitimacy,
becomes meaningless. One should not use in mental constructions and
experiments those things known not to exist.
Copyright© 1991 Principia Cybernetica -
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