I understand (a little) about “people” making a meaurement or observation in the quantum realm. This causes a wavefunction collapse and replaces probabilities with values for velocity or momentum or location, etc.
One of the measurements/observations, is passing a stream of electons through a small apperature. When the apperature dimension is sufficiently small, the position of an electron, passing through this orifice is “known” and the wavefunction collapses.
What I don’t understand is:
Doesn’t the entire universe constantly perform such measurements/observations? There are plenty of electrons passing through such small aperatures throughout the universe.
Do these electrons have their wavefunction collapsed?
Do we encounter electrons which have had their wave function already collapsed?
Can a collapsed wave function be restored by the universe?

Maybe you can help me ask the right questions?

Sincerely,
Burt

The video doesn’t tell us how the observations were made and says nothing about a proton beam being fired at the electron beam. If they were firing protons at the electrons they most certainly would have affected the electrons, but the method of observation was supposed to have been passive in that it shouldn’t have physically affected the positions of the electrons.

The electron experiment v the macro experiments are to demonstrate that electrons are not things. They are possibilities and can be in more than one place at a time or no place (they pop in and out of existence). This is called quantum superposition and it exhibits a wave pattern. When we observe, we end the probability of finding an electron and actually locate it. By observing, we take away the probability cloud and the electron behaves as a particle.

The observer, no matter how passive, has an effect on the system. Things don’t exist unless we observe them to exist.