What is the Observer Effect?
The observer effect is a fundamental concept in physics where the act of observing a phenomenon changes its behavior, much like the act of watching a video stream changes the viewer's behavior.
Examples in Technology
- YouTube Comments Section: Where users' comments become an integral part of the content, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of outrage and echo chambers.
- Twitter Trolls: Where a user's online presence is altered by their own reactions and responses.
- Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything) - Where users' answers change the questions, creating a self-referential paradox.
Fictional Applications
Imagine a world where the observer effect becomes a literal force of nature, where the act of observing a city changes its architecture, population, and even its very laws of physics.
Hyper-Reality, a world of ever-changing skyscrapers, sentient streetlights, and adaptive traffic lights that adapt to your presence.
Reality's feedback loops, where the more you observe, the more you change, and the more you change, the more you observe.
Read more about Hyper-Reality Learn about Reality's Feedback Loops