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Contact as the Fundamental Unit or Quantum of
Reification On the Redundancy of
‘Observation’ and ‘Measurement’ By the Druid Finn Abstract The prevailing
discourse in physics is laden with terms such as observer and measurement,
which, though historically entrenched, introduce conceptual redundancy and
confusion. Through a progressive refinement of definitions, we arrive at the
notion of contact as the smallest indivisible act (i.e. as unit or
quantum of action). A contact is understood as a singularity, point or
Eigenheit, devoid of intrinsic dimensions, only
acquiring relative structure when another contact serves as observer (i.e.
as Eigen-responder (Buddhist: atman)). This reframing renders the archaic
terms ‘observation’ and ‘measurement’ as redundant because wholly misleading. 1. Introduction The
conceptual foundations of modern physics are often expressed in terms that
carry the weight of classical intuitions. Among the most contested are the
terms observer and measurement, particularly in quantum
mechanics, where they underpin interpretational debates. To examine their
validity, we begin by offering minimal definitions and subjecting them to
reduction by Occam’s Razor. 2. Definitions 2.1 Observer Traditionally:
Any system capable of interacting with another and recording information
about it. 2.2 Measurement Traditionally:
A physical interaction producing a definite outcome, correlating an
observer’s state with that of a system. While
serviceable, these definitions immediately show redundancy: “observer” is
nothing beyond another physical system, and “measurement” reduces to
interaction plus record. 3. Toward the Quantum of Interaction 3.1 First Approximation We define
a quantum of interaction as the smallest indivisible exchange
between systems. 3.2 Refinement Recognizing
that “exchange” is a derivative and complex notion, the definition reduces
to: A quantum
of interaction is the smallest indivisible act. This
brings us to a linguistic clarity: at root, all physics is a sequence of
indivisible acts. 4. Naming the Smallest Act To
translate this into common terms, we propose the metaphor of a “tick.”
However, closer scrutiny reveals that everyday language already contains the
precise concept: contact. ·
A contact is the act by which one system
touches another. ·
It is indivisible, without intrinsic dimensions,
and can only be registered through its effect (as selective response). Thus, the
most elementary concept is contact, not “interaction” or
“measurement.” 5. Contact as Event Einstein’s
framework of relativity replaces absolute structures with events:
singular points in spacetime defined by their relations. This aligns
seamlessly with the reduction above: ·
Contact-in-itself: a
singularity, Eigenheit, dimensionless and immeasurable. ·
Contact-in-relation: acquires form (location,
duration, energy. Indeed complexity) when another contact serves as observer. Hence,
“measurement” is not a primitive act but the relative registration of one
contact by another. 6. Examples 6.1 Everyday Example When a
finger touches a surface, the contact is fundamental. “Pressure” or
“measurement of force” arises only when another system (nerve cells, sensors)
relativises that contact. 6.2 Physical Example An
electron scattering off a photon is a contact. Only when the scattering is
related to another contact (e.g., a detector registering an event) do we
speak of “measurement.” 6.3 Cosmological Example In
relativity, a supernova explosion is not “observed” in itself. The light
reaching a telescope constitutes a contact; the telescope’s sensor adds
another; only in this chain of contacts does the event become measured. 7. Conclusion The
inquiry begun with definitions of observer and measurement culminates
in their dissolution. Both are redundant terms obscuring the elementary
reality: all that occurs is contact (by quanta, units or wholes). A contact
is the smallest indivisible act, a singularity without intrinsic dimension.
Only when relativised by another contact does it yield measurable structure. Thus, the
language of physics should shift from the misleading vocabulary of
“observation” and “measurement” to a framework grounded in contact as
event, a move both conceptually parsimonious and faithful to the
relational foundations of modern physics. |