[Paper Review] How observers create reality

Brian D. Josephson|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 17, 2015

Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life6 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes that observers actively create reality through a selection-driven evolution of technological tools, framing the universe as a product of purposeful agencies using evolved technologies. It extends Wheeler's 'participatory universe' idea by introducing a mechanism rooted in technological evolution, suggesting reality emerges from observer-technology interactions over time.

ABSTRACT

Wheeler proposed that repeated acts of observation give rise to the reality that we observe, but offered no detailed mechanism for this. Here this creative process is accounted for on the basis of the idea that nature has a deep technological aspect that evolves as a result of selection processes that act upon observers making use of the technologies. This leads to the conclusion that our universe is the product of agencies that use these evolved technologies to suit particular purposes.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the lack of a mechanistic explanation for Wheeler's idea that observation creates reality.
• To explore how technological evolution among observers could lead to the emergence of a stable, observable universe.
• To propose that the universe is not a fixed entity but the outcome of purposeful, technology-mediated observer activities.
• To frame physics and reality as products of a selection process acting on observer-technology systems.
• To integrate philosophy of science with physical theory by emphasizing the role of agency and technology in shaping reality.

Proposed method

• Proposes that nature possesses a deep technological aspect that evolves through selection processes.
• Models observers as agencies that use technologies to achieve specific purposes, driving the evolution of these technologies.
• Introduces the idea that repeated observation acts are not passive but involve active technological engagement.
• Suggests that the selection of effective technologies by observers leads to the stabilization of observable reality.
• Frames the universe as the cumulative outcome of purpose-driven observer-technology interactions over time.
• Uses philosophical and theoretical reasoning to link observer agency, technological evolution, and the emergence of physical reality.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can Wheeler's participatory universe concept be given a concrete mechanism for reality creation?
• RQ2 What role do technologies play in the observer's process of shaping reality?
• RQ3 How might selection processes acting on observer-technological systems lead to a stable, consistent universe?
• RQ4 In what way does observer agency contribute to the evolution of physical laws and structures?
• RQ5 Can the emergence of reality be understood as a product of purposeful, technology-mediated observation?

Key findings

• The paper proposes that reality is not pre-existing but emerges through repeated acts of observation mediated by evolved technologies.
• Technological evolution among observers serves as the mechanism by which stable, consistent reality is selected and maintained.
• The universe is conceptualized as the outcome of purposeful agencies using technologies to shape observable phenomena.
• Observer participation is not passive but involves active, goal-directed engagement with evolving technological tools.
• The selection of effective observer-technology combinations leads to the stabilization of physical laws and structures.
• The framework reinterprets the observer's role in quantum mechanics as central to the very creation of reality through technological mediation.