A Brief Conversation about Reality

Back in September, 2021, I posted a meme I created about quantum physics as a story. That post has generated a huge number of comments, some acknowledgement, and much criticism. Here’s a brief, illustrative conversation.

Michael: It goes to the theory that nothing happens until it is observed.

John: So, if you close your eyes, it doesn’t exist right?

Larry: Hey John, thanks for the question, though it sounds more like a comment. This business of whether the world exists independent of its observation is not idle speculation. It has been argued about since the advent of quantum physics.

My premise is that equipped only with five senses and a brain, all we have as humans is the picture our brains create, essentially an interpretation of electrical impulses. I can think of no way one could prove that the world actually exists as our pictures seem to suggest.

So, our interpretation of what the world seems to be constitutes a story about the world. But quantum physics is also a story, and while it is the most powerful description we have (in terms of predictive power) of the world, it doesn't speak directly about how or what the world is. Instead, it speaks about what we're likely to see when we observe the world. And those two things are different.

So, it's not that the world doesn't exist when you're not looking at it (i.e. when you close your eyes). It's that when you're not observing it you can't know what it will be like when you do open your eyes. You can predict what it will look like, and most of the time you'll be right, but not always. If you seek real knowledge about the world (and your self), you are better off to release what you already know and find a place of not-knowing instead. That will, so to speak, get rid of the box you think in, and it will allow you access to what's really there. That's my premise... I just wanted you to know what I was trying to get at when I did my original post.

I appreciate your comments and questions!