Young’s double slit experiment: a game-changer for the scientific world and for our fundamental ideas about the universe. The experiment itself was relatively simple. However, it was tremendously revolutionary and completely changed the way in which we think about the universe.
The methodology was originally to fire a beam of light through two very thin, closely spaced slits on the other side of which was located a photosensitive screen. Due to the wave nature of light, the light waves going through either slit would interfere with each other and would thus create an interference pattern, a pattern of bright and dark lines, on the opposing screen. This is due to the light having diffracted, which is an inherent property of waves. Later, Young desired to fire a beam of electrons at said slits, wishing to observe the results that would be obtained. Surprisingly enough, the interference pattern remained, which was amazing in itself since electrons were not thought to be waves, but particles made of matter. Therefore, Young decided to fire electrons individually at the slits. The results were astonishing. Although the placement of the electrons on the photosensitive screen appeared to be random at first, with time, an interference pattern formed nonetheless. It is as if each electron went through both slits and was interfering with itself. Young refused to accept this conclusion, since it was completely illogical and defied all previous scientific knowledge. Therefore, in one last desperate attempt to explain the phenomenon being observed, Young placed a detector where the electrons would exit the slits so as to detect which slit each electron passed through. What the scientists observed was nothing short of baffling. Upon being observed by the detector, the electrons would no longer form the interference pattern; only two solid, bright lines were seen. Yet when the detector was removed, the pattern returned.
Such results were the inspiration for my artwork. They imply that the limitations of our brains and our actual presence in the world prevent us from seeing the universe as it truly is, the big picture. Differently put, we cannot observe the universe objectively, since our perception is entirely subjective.
The wave-particle duality: the concept that matter is intrinsically defined both by wave and particle properties, the apparentness of either characteristic depending on the experiment performed. This is an extremely paradoxical idea. Yet based on evidence over the past hundred years, namely Young’s double slit experiment, it seems to be the case of our physical reality. No one can seem to have an absolute description of atoms since we rely on our own models of what is going on to explain them. We can never truly know what anything is, really, since we depend on our limited minds.
The role of the observer: the fact that subatomic particles behave differently depending on whether one is observing them or not. We are part of the experiment. Therefore, we can never see the universe as it truly is since we only get partial views of it due to our presence in it. We are restricted to only one perspective of reality.
Clearly, we are limited beings, which is what I was trying to depict with my artwork with a representation of the double slit experiment.
The work itself is built on a large piece of wood. Two of the primary components of the work are the two brains that are located on either side of the wood. These brains, one of which has an eye opened and the other an eye closed, figuratively represent both the observers who are conducting the double slit experiment (the brains) and the electron detectors (the eyes). In front of each are lasers, which are to be taken quite literally as electron firing devices, and panels with two slits in them. In the center of the wooden board is the photosensitive screen. However, the result that is observed on either side of the screen depends on whether the brain is observing or not. On the side with the brain with the closed eye, an interference pattern can be seen. On the side with the brain with the opened eye, however, merely two bright lines are seen due to the observer’s involvement in the experiment.
However, the component of the artwork that makes it unique is the plexiglass arch and the eyeball suspended on it. This arch represents a hypothetical boundary of our universe and the eyeball on top of it represents an observer outside of the observable universe. The wave-particle duality is necessary to be able to account for such phenomena as the one observed in the double slit experiment. Therefore, the view of neither observer is wrong. However, these perspectives are completely subjective. The significance in having an observer outside of the observable universe is that this observer does not technically interact with the experiment since it is outside the boundaries of the laws of nature. Therefore in theory, one who is outside of the universe should be able to observe reality objectively and perceive its intrinsically true nature.
Since adding a backdrop to the artwork would have eliminated the “dome” effect, I decided to create a small, wooden border that surrounded the big board. Since the plank was painted white and the borders were painted black, a certain contrast can be seen which gives the impression of a closed, contained artwork. Notice how the eyes within the dome are achromatic, while the exterior eyeball contains colour. This is a more subtle way of denouncing that the universe we observe as inhabitants of it is only a partial view of what it really looks like, particularly on the subatomic level. The outside observer, however, is enlightened, in a sense, and able to see the world’s true colours.
The philosophical implications of such an idea as aforementioned are extremely deep. We, as human beings, are limited to the capacities of our senses, which in turn are limited to the capacities of our brains. Our brains cannot fathom both the wave and particle nature of matter simultaneously since they so drastically conflict with each other due to their contradictions. Therefore, it is impossible for us to formulate a complete description of our physical reality due to the implications of our presence in it. This does not necessarily signify that science’s quest for knowledge of the inner workings of the universe is futile. However, we are nonetheless restricted to the models of reality that our brains are capable of creating due to the subjectivity of perception and the limitations of human imagination.