[jbjb]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Now, I said I would try to read and describe the chapter pertinent to the double-slit experiments which seem to be the crux of this discussion and the book. The question is "Does the act of knowing (consciousness) collapse the wave function, or is it a side-effect of the measuring apparatus?" The author describes three experiments that he says proves that it is the act of knowing that causes the collapse. Unfortunately I don't think I can do his explanations justice.

Considering the double-slit experiment, the interference pattern disappears when the apparatus to determine which slit the photon (or electron, or whatever is the subject of the particular experiment) went through is added. It does not require anyone to actually observe the output from that apparatus.

If consciousness was required to collapse the wave function, the interference pattern would appear and disappear as the experimenter chose to look at or not look at the detector output. This isn't the effect we see.

However, as I understand it, I think the following link demonstrates a similar point as the author's:

After a Short Delay, Quantum Mechanics Becomes Even Weirder

Again - the effect in this experiment is dependent on the presence or otherwise of the second beam-splitter. There's nothing to suggest a requirement for any consciousness.

/JB