Nowadays, our development of technology and other fields of study developed better alone with our knowledge. All fields of study are supported by their specific knowledge, overall it is just knowledge on a different scale. For this essay, we assume that knowledge is based on observation, but knowledge is not all pure observation. Different individuals produce subjective knowledge; when the subject knowledge is supported by the majority(in an isolated environment), it becomes objective knowledge. For example, it is universally accepted that all guns are dangerous. Why? This is because we were told that guns are dangerous, and we, as humans witnessed the tragedies caused by them. As this subjective knowledge is approved by the majority(in an isolated environment), it becomes objective. Unfortunately, this logic does not differentiate between real fact or fake rumors, which often causes the spread of fake information. For example, drinking Clorox cures covid-19. However, fake information can only be spread for a very short amount of time. This is because that fake information usually defies observations, which are recognized as “facts”.
But can facts be observed?
Quantum mechanics, as a section of the frontier theoretical physics, has proven that the only way we can interact with the universe around us is through observations. Observation is mainly but not limited to seeing; it also includes touching, smelling, and all other senses that humans as a biological creature could produce. We humans as a high intelligence species on Earth developed tools or something that are able for us to extend our senses. For example, microscopes allow us to see smaller, sonars allow us to feel further, etc. Right now, humans can extend out observing from the substantial level to atomic or even sub-atomic level, and this is the first time for humans to find out that what we see, is not what it is there.
The scale of this world can be dissected smaller and smaller. From substantial to molecular, to atomic, sub-atomic, and to elementary particles. However, elementary particles, atoms, and even molecules exert a strange effect called quantum uncertainty. Imagine there is a particle that spins neither 12or-12(opposite direction). The only way to know its spin is through observation. After we observe, we get a certain answer. However, as the object that is being observed becoming smaller and smaller, we lose the right to observe. The reason why we are able to see as a biological creature is by photons rays(waves) reflecting off a surface and stimulate the cone cell in our pupil. Photon is an elementary particle with 0 mass at rest but with mass at high velocity due to the theory of relativity. Just like the other particles, it exerts wave-particle duality, which means photons can be in the form of particles or waves. For a wave, it has a certain wavelength and amplitude. Since the object we are observing is ridiculously small, and the photon itself is incredibly small, after a critical point, the photons just keep missing the object thus we cannot see the reflection. We can try harder to “observe” by decreasing the wavelength by applying more energy(Ultraviolet has much more energy than infrared because of shorter wavelength). However, even if we can hit the object we want to observe, it alters and thus the observation is meaningless. This is the famous Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the so-called Quantum uncertainty theorem. Therefore the certainties in the substantial world are just expressions of uncertainty in the quantum world. Uncertainty creates certainty.
From the above, we know that biological observation cannot take us any further in studying the truth of this world. However, the majority of the knowledge is based on the observation of different individuals, which brings us back to the argument - To produce knowledge, just observe and then write down what you observe. Since observation has been defied scientifically on a quantum scale, we assume that all production of knowledge takes place is a substantial level. Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts (propositional knowledge), skills (procedural knowledge), etc. However, simply record information is not equivalent to knowledge. To produce knowledge, we have to first record the necessary information, then analyze the information to produce the “second hand” information that is useful to us. Only information that is considered useful can be classified as knowledge.
All in all, there is no way to observe at a quantum level which makes the production of knowledge impossible, which may imply that information has no difference between knowledge. However, assuming all the events take place at a substantial level, we must analyze the information to create subjective knowledge, then discuss with each other to produce knowledge that is widely accepted o create objective knowledge. Therefore just simply write down the information mostly but not equivalent to producing knowledge.
