“There’s no way to remove the observer – us – from our perceptions of the world.”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“There’s no way to remove the observer – us – from our perceptions of the world.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking touches on a profound idea in both physics and philosophy: the observer effect. This concept suggests that our perception of reality is fundamentally shaped by our own consciousness and the way we interact with the world. In physics, this is closely related to quantum mechanics, where the state of a particle is affected by whether or not it is being observed. The idea that “the observer” cannot be removed from the equation points to the notion that reality is not something external and objective that exists independently of us; rather, it is something shaped by our perceptions and interactions.
Hawking’s view challenges the classical idea of an objective universe that exists regardless of our observation. In the quantum world, particularly in phenomena like wave-particle duality, the act of observing a particle can influence its state. This has led to debates about whether reality is something fundamentally probabilistic and only “collapses” into a specific state when we measure it. Thus, consciousness plays a crucial role in how we understand and interact with the universe.
The quote also reflects a broader philosophical theme in Hawking’s work. While he was primarily known for his contributions to theoretical physics, he was also deeply interested in questions about the nature of reality, existence, and the role of human perception in shaping our understanding of the universe. By stating that “we” are inseparable from our perceptions, Hawking acknowledges that human subjectivity is an integral part of how we explore and make sense of the cosmos. This idea resonates with modern scientific debates and aligns with the philosophy of science, where the role of the observer is often discussed in relation to the limits of human knowledge and experience.
