Does a thing exist if there is no one there to observe it? This is a question I posed to readers in a post from 2022. And I went on to ask, “Do you understand that there is a possibility that you are creating the universe simply by observing it?” One X reader, Andy B, expressed, honestly, that he did not. I admit this is an esoteric concept and needs explanation. So, to Andy’s request, I will try to explain it as if he were a 6-year-old.

Quantum mechanics is a physical theory that has been the best-tested since the 20th century. It is also one of the most well-proven, as experimental results consistently verify its predictions with high accuracy. Quantum theory says that subatomic particles, those basic building blocks of atoms, the electron being one, do not exist as solid, tangible particles. Instead, they exist as somewhat of a haze, a cloud if you will, with no definitive point in space. How can this be?

At one time, physicists believed that electrons orbit around the atomic nucleus much like a planet around the sun. But they discovered, mathematically (the language of physics), that it was incorrect. Subatomic particles like electrons are not solid structures at all but waves. They can be described by mathematical equations only, which provide the probability (likelihood) that they might be found at any given point around the atomic nucleus. In this state, the electron is said to exist in a cloud, termed a superposition state. A pretty good definition that, albeit a six-year-old might not understand, is:

“A superposition state is a quantum state where a particle can exist in multiple states at the same time. For example, a particle could be in two different places at once.”

This is a difficult concept, even for physicists, especially those whose predominant view of the universe is one of “locality.”

Locality is the idea that all things in the universe have a definitive position in space. So, Los Angeles is west of Arizona yet east of Hawaii. The moon is always and forever next to the Earth; it will never be found next to Venus (which, incidentally, has no moons). Albert Einstein, the revered and legendary physicist of the 20^th century, was a staunch advocate for locality, as his own theories on Relativity were predicated on it. The idea that subatomic particles existed in superposition was in direct opposition to the idea of locality.

However, when an observer, that is, anyone who would want to measure the exact location of an electron, uses a tool to see where it is, that cloud contracts into a single point, at which the electron can now be “found.” Can we predetermine the location? No. Each location around the atomic nuclei has a different probability, or chance, of the electron ending up there, like the moving ball in the casino game roulette. Nonetheless, and here is the important part: that definitive location, that point where one finds the electron, happens ONLY when an observation is made (when one looks).

This phenomenon is known as “collapsing the wave function.” Collapsing refers to the moment the cloud condenses to a single point, and the wave function is the mathematical probability equation describing the location of the electron prior to the observation. Collapsing the wave function is essentially contracting the cloud to a definitive, solid point, removing the uncertainty of where it might be and now seeing where it is (at that moment only). Here is a pretty good definition:

“Collapsing the wave function” in quantum mechanics refers to the process where a quantum system, initially in a superposition of multiple possible states, suddenly transitions to a single definite state upon measurement or interaction with the environment, essentially “choosing” one of the possible outcomes and losing its quantum uncertainty.”

This is not an easy concept to grasp. Physicist and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman once said, “I think I can safely say that nobody really understands quantum mechanics.” So, explaining it to a six-year-old is not as simple as one may think. But let’s try the other idea I put forth.

If physical phenomena at their most basic level do not have a definitive position in space, that is, not until we look, then there is a possibility that what we call the external world, the universe, may need an observer to exist as well. More than one theory on reality considers this possibility. So, let’s take a simple approach to understanding what one path to this reality might be like.

Let’s say you would love to understand what it might feel like to be a millionaire. To do so, you must observe all phenomena revolving around that experience. You might read about investing money. You might follow the stock market, learn about crypto, and familiarize yourself with various investment products like IRAs, annuities, and hedge funds. You might then open an investment account and start saving and accumulating money, purchasing stock, and moving money around to better work for you. By taking these actions, you are observing phenomena. Can you predict at any time where your millions will be? No. But when you look at any time, you will see some result, which is collapsing the wave function at that moment. That is a simple example you can extrapolate to any other scenario, such as family, relationships, career, business, art, etc.

Here is another: Billie Joe Armstrong, lead vocalist and guitarist for the punk band Green Day, said that when he was twelve, his favorite band was Van Halen. At some point in his youth, Billie Joe must have asked himself, “What would it be like to be a rock star?” And he then took the time to observe by learning to play guitar, practicing, forming a band, writing songs, and performing in front of people. He was, in a sense, collapsing the wave function. After years of doing this, and regardless of your subjective taste in music, no one can deny that today, Billie Joe Armstrong walks among the rock stars. Here, he tells the story of the time he met his childhood hero, Eddie Van Halen, face to face.

These two examples are what I mean by the possibility of you creating the universe by observing it. Without taking the time to look, that potentiality (remember the superposition cloud) will never manifest. You must look to be the millionaire, look to be the rockstar, or have the children, or write the book, or visit the Silverback gorillas in Rwanda, and so on. Will you hit every mark? No. That’s the probability wave. But you will hit zero without looking at all.

Your pursuits are important. As conscious players within the material universe, we are constantly observing—what would it be like if I did this, what would it look like if I pursued that, and so on. People may think that others are born into their talents and do not need to look, pursue, push, fail, get back up, and pursue again. But that is absurd. Plato did it. Newton did it. Elvis did it. We are all observers, and thus, we must have some hand in creating the universe.

I do not know if a six-year-old can understand this. Maybe it’s more complex than a child of that age needs to grasp. An adult, however, would be wise to understand that what you do—all of it—has an impact on the physical universe. All your decisions matter. You do not have to believe any of this to render it true. But I hope at least now you understand the idea.