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8 The Universe Observed and Unobserved
Phenomena
We refer to regularities in the physical world as natural phenomena. It is an
interesting fact that the word ‘phenomenon’ is derived from the Greek root
phanein which means “to show”. In one sense, that isn’t surprising, because
phenomena are things that nature shows us—things that are presented to us.
But the use of this word is in fact remarkably revealing, for it is an overt
recognition of the fact that people do not have direct access to the hypothetical
“true core” of reality, but rather, they are spectators to things that are presented
to them by nature.
We are generally more open to the belief that reality consists of things that
are actively happening. However, that isn’t inconsistent with taking natural
phenomena to be presentations. The advantage of thinking of physical events
as phenomena that are presented to us is that it reveals clearly that every event
comes to us as a Gestalt whole. This is important because to us every physical
event is a Gestalt: That’s the way events appear to us, and the only way we
understand them.
The Nobel laureate Werner Heisenberg, one of the creators of quantum
physics, explains that in physics one cannot ask what is, but rather, how things
present themselves to an observer. The first question (what is) has no answer,
only the second one does. He says that existence is an idea dear to humans, but is
misconstrued when applied to reality in fundamental physics. For instance, an
electron is not something material, nor does it have a definite position, velocity
or mass: It is something observed in the context of a particular apparatus
when the apparatus is used in a specific way. The experimental setup yields
certain measurements, and this set of measurements, suitably interpreted, is a
presentation that we take as revealing an electron.
All science works in this fashion: The results of experiments are given by
the readings of dials and gauges, and these readings are interpreted in the light
of a theory. All we get from the world are presentations, and from them we
try to figure out the process taking place in the background. We do this in
everyday life too: From every sensory cue, we infer a likely cause and visualize
it inwardly.
If that is correct, then in what fashion does nature present its activity to us?
The most recent studies of animal perception offer a remarkable new account of
how we pick up the events of our environment. Our most essential information
is picked up when we are active in our surroundings. Here, reality hits us in
the form of physical constraints on the actions we’re trying to carry out. The
constraints of reality channel our activity into the narrow pathways which are
physically achievable.
8 The Universe Observed and Unobserved
Phenomena
We refer to regularities in the physical world as natural phenomena. It is an
interesting fact that the word ‘phenomenon’ is derived from the Greek root
phanein which means “to show”. In one sense, that isn’t surprising, because
phenomena are things that nature shows us—things that are presented to us.
But the use of this word is in fact remarkably revealing, for it is an overt
recognition of the fact that people do not have direct access to the hypothetical
“true core” of reality, but rather, they are spectators to things that are presented
to them by nature.
We are generally more open to the belief that reality consists of things that
are actively happening. However, that isn’t inconsistent with taking natural
phenomena to be presentations. The advantage of thinking of physical events
as phenomena that are presented to us is that it reveals clearly that every event
comes to us as a Gestalt whole. This is important because to us every physical
event is a Gestalt: That’s the way events appear to us, and the only way we
understand them.
The Nobel laureate Werner Heisenberg, one of the creators of quantum
physics, explains that in physics one cannot ask what is, but rather, how things
present themselves to an observer. The first question (what is) has no answer,
only the second one does. He says that existence is an idea dear to humans, but is
misconstrued when applied to reality in fundamental physics. For instance, an
electron is not something material, nor does it have a definite position, velocity
or mass: It is something observed in the context of a particular apparatus
when the apparatus is used in a specific way. The experimental setup yields
certain measurements, and this set of measurements, suitably interpreted, is a
presentation that we take as revealing an electron.
All science works in this fashion: The results of experiments are given by
the readings of dials and gauges, and these readings are interpreted in the light
of a theory. All we get from the world are presentations, and from them we
try to figure out the process taking place in the background. We do this in
everyday life too: From every sensory cue, we infer a likely cause and visualize
it inwardly.
If that is correct, then in what fashion does nature present its activity to us?
The most recent studies of animal perception offer a remarkable new account of
how we pick up the events of our environment. Our most essential information
is picked up when we are active in our surroundings. Here, reality hits us in
the form of physical constraints on the actions we’re trying to carry out. The
constraints of reality channel our activity into the narrow pathways which are
physically achievable.