Experiments Confirm a Quantum Oddity To Change Universe, Just Look By Lidia Wasowicz United Press International Feb. 25 Apparently, there is more to the saying "what you see is what you get" than meets the eye. What you see might actually determine what you get. And what you may ultimately get as a result of this finding is a new generation of supercomputers and electronic equipment. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel say they have demonstrated one of the strangest premises of quantum theory, which states that by the very act of watching, the observer affects the observed reality. Electrons Know You Are Watching Reporting Wednesday in the British journal Nature, the scientists describe their experiment that shows how observation affects a beam of electrons. Lead researcher Mordehai Heiblum says the study shows the greater the amount of watching, the greater the watcher's influence on what what is being watched. The principles of quantum mechanics state that particles, including electrons, can behave as waves. In their wave mode, electrons can simultaneously pass through several openings in a barrier and meet again on the other side. But this meeting, called interference, can take place only if no one is watching. Put an observer in the picture, and the scene takes on a whole new look. Says Heiblum, "If a particle can be seen going through one opening, it's clear it didn't go through another. Thus, when under observation, electrons are forced to behave like particles and not like waves. The mere act of observation affects the experimental findings." In their experiment, the team built a tiny device with a barrier with two openings. They sent a current of electrons toward the barrier. The observer in this case was an electronic detector that can spot passing electrons. The scientists found the very presence of this watcher near one of the openings caused changes in the interference pattern of the electron waves. Not only that, the extent of the watching influenced the outcome as well. A Possible Information Seal The experiment may have a practical value in developing technology to ensure the secrecy of information transfer, according to the study authors. The presence of an eavesdropper, who is an observer, although an unwanted one, would kill the interference, says Heiblum. This would let the recipient know the message has been intercepted. The work also could have implications for future quantum electronic machines, which may become a reality in the next century, paving the way for a new generation of computers and other electronic equipment. Copyright 1998 United Press International.