measuring or even observing a subatomic object always has an effect on it because any information we gain always involves an energy exchange. Think about it: If you see something, it means photons or bits of electromagnetic energy have impacted retinal cells, delivering the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces, to atoms in those cells, and ultimately caused electrical impulses to arise. What can you ever perceive without an energy exchange? The mere process of observation can alter what’s occurring at a fundamental level without you even being aware of it—just as using a
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