Part 6/10:
Amidst the discourse, John Archibald Wheeler emerged as a key figure. Starting as a strict realist, Wheeler evolved his thinking to propose that observers are fundamentally integral to the fabric of the universe. His paradigm, expressed in the phrase “it from bit,” posits that all matter and energy derive their meaning and existence from the answers elicited by binary choices—questions posed by observers of the universe.
Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment further underscores this idea. By altering the experimental setup after a photon has passed through initial filters, it appears that the act of observation retroactively determines the photon’s path—an outcome consistent with the concept that our choices impact reality itself.