The fourth Experiment is actually a set of several sub experiments designed to explore the details and subtleties of the observer’s interaction with the experiment.
These experiments may be done to a greater or lesser extent (or not at all) depending on the result of the first experiment.
Some basic questions are:
- a. What are the minimum requirements for defining the availability of “which way” data?
- b. Is subjective human memory or awareness sufficient as data recorder R1 or R2?
- c. What constitutes an “observation” of w-w data? objectively detected and recorded versus objectively witnessed versus objectively detected by machine but unobservable to human observation
- d. What does human consciousness have to do with causing decoherence, measuring a particle, or “collapsing” the wave function — if anything
(The following experiment setup diagrams, are used only to illustrate the concepts, not to define the actual physical setup.)
If these experiments defining the observer effect prove interesting enough to preform, then a set of experiments will be developed as we determine the appropriate variables to investigate.
These would be experiments involving different ways and levels of observing or “recording” the w-w data.
The changes required should be relatively inexpensive.
Costs for Exp 4 will be discussed/negotiated once we see what is required, if anything. Initially cost Exp 3 as one experiment.
Simply modify the Exp 2 setup to test subjective rather than objective w-w data recording as show in the figure.