Faustling

I've got some faint memories of hearing about a theory that stated that when you look at a tree or a car it's only a tree or a car because you're there to see it. Am I making any sense?
Anyway, I'm thinking about including parts of the theory into my current story but I can't remember the name of it. So... if my above description makes sense to anyone, please say.

lisajane

I suppose it's like the saying, does a falling tree make a sound if there's no one there to hear it? (and no one answer that, it's not a debate...) Except in this case. you're referring to sight.

Though I don't know what the name of the theory is. Try Google.

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Foxee

I suppose it works as a fantasy theory but I've bumped into or fallen over things because I didn't see them too many times to believe it as a workable theory.

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The Backward OX

I'm starting to seriously believe you have a bumping into things syndrome in your household. Back at the beginning of September you had your dog bashing into an end table, now this. What next?

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Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.

Faustling

I've tried googling (and wikipeding) without results. It's not quite the same thing as the falling tree thing but pretty similar. As for bumping into things without seeing them I think it has that covered. It's probably because someone has seen it before or something.

ClancyBoy

Sounds like Platonism.

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Mermaid on the breakwater

Hmm, I am not an expert on platonism, but I've read a bit on it and isn't it basically just a way of "conceptualising" what is essentially ethereal?

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Mermaid on the breakwater

From what I've read so far, it's not the same thing as what Faustling is looking for. I haven't read anything about it arguing that spacetime objects are in fact only spacetime objects because we have witnessed them.

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jamester

Metaphysics? Observer effect?
Observer effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Mermaid on the breakwater

Wow, that's tough to digest. So, if I look at something it's already been altered by the fact that I am looking at it? So, surely, if I close my eyes, it changes again? It's going to take a lot to convince me of that lol.

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Foxee

Um......Ox?

I don't have a dog.

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Hodge

Quantum theory.

Particles have a dualistic nature—they are both particles with definite locations and waves with indefinite locations. When a waveform is observed, it becomes a particle, but when it's not, it's a waveform.

If you step out of a room and there is nothing around to observe it, then everything in that room ceases to exist as matter and becomes a series of waves.


Some people believe this means we live in a holographic universe, because holograms are created by interference patterns, which are caused by various waves interacting with each other, and that the image you see—and all particles—are just an illusion.


Freaky stuff, right? Especially since it's grounded in science.

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Science

The Backward OX

Psychologists are quick to point out that we believe everything we hear or read, the first time we hear or read it, provided there isn’t a blocking idea to the contrary.

They clearly didn’t take writers’ evil ways into consideration in formulating that theory.

Good ol’ gullible OX has fallen into that trap again. Believing everything he hears, viz.,

I’ve been had.

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Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.

Foxee

Yes, dear Ox, I used to have a dog. I no longer have a dog.

I hope you feel better now.

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If the staff were bent on policing your thoughts there would be nothing but a smoking hole where the debate forum used to be.

Faustling

Both observer effect and the quantum stuff sounds similar to what I'm looking for. Since I'm going to use it in fiction and not in science I'll probably take a little bit of both. And if it seems freaky now you don't even wanna see when I'm done mixing it with religion for my story.