Kerrigan wrote I wonder if this isn't meant to be taken literal, or it shouldn't be. The one question that came to mind was "If a tree falls in a forest, and no one's around to hear it. Did it make a sound?"
Well obviously it does, in a sense. It produces sound waves that our ears would have interpreted. It's debatable however, but just hang on. I just woke up, I'll explain why I believe this has a connection.

Let's rephrase the question. "If there isn't anyone outside of the universe (just space). Are there atoms?"
It's sort of the question of is there anything there if nothing is around to examine it?

This is how I viewed what was said in a non literal fashion.

Well this analogy does not really apply to quantum theory as it's more of a philosophical debate. Upon the tree falling I say mechanically speaking sound waves will propagate but as Lightyear mentioned it will not be auscultated. I see perception and reality interlinked and perhaps philosophically speaking without perception of an event it didn't happen. But, the sound could of been heard.. I think personal interpretations depend on what you call reality and existence along with their distinctions. An object that exists may be perceived differently and this is what makes up reality; Or at least that's how I'd put it.

"to be is to be perceived"

iyop45 wrote

Kerrigan wrote I wonder if this isn't meant to be taken literal, or it shouldn't be. The one question that came to mind was "If a tree falls in a forest, and no one's around to hear it. Did it make a sound?"
Well obviously it does, in a sense. It produces sound waves that our ears would have interpreted. It's debatable however, but just hang on. I just woke up, I'll explain why I believe this has a connection.

Let's rephrase the question. "If there isn't anyone outside of the universe (just space). Are there atoms?"
It's sort of the question of is there anything there if nothing is around to examine it?

This is how I viewed what was said in a non literal fashion.

Well this analogy does not really apply to quantum theory as it's more of a philosophical debate. Upon the tree falling I say mechanically speaking sound waves will propagate but as Lightyear mentioned it will not be auscultated. I see perception and reality interlinked and perhaps philosophically speaking without perception of an event it didn't happen. But, the sound could of been heard.. I think personal interpretations depend on what you call reality and existence along with their distinctions. An object that exists may be perceived differently and this is what makes up reality; Or at least that's how I'd put it.

"to be is to be perceived"

I know it doesn't apply to anything relating to this topic, however it made me think of it because of what I rewrote below it. Simply put, if no one is there to perceive or clarify the existence of something, then is it really there?

So the universe wouldn't exist if there wasn't an observer?

This is confusing...

Is it bad I have thought this on countless occasions? Like if a tree falls in a forests and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? Alot has ran through my head about this....

Think about something else like bullying.
It only exists as a problem if the person percieves it that way

Fluttershyyy wrote So the universe wouldn't exist if there wasn't an observer?

This is confusing...

"In the beginning there were only probabilities. The universe could only come into existence if someone observed it. It does not matter that the observers turned up several billion years later. The universe exists because we are aware of it."

Martin Rees