What is the Meaning of Directly Observable?

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@dga471

This is why I think “direct” vs. “indirect” detection are not very useful criteria in atomic or particle physics to judge the strength of evidence for an experimental claim or theoretical prediction.

That is my sense too. The original context was discussing the “direct” detection of a pilot wave. I was unclear that adjective had any meaning in that context.

@PdotdQ

If the pilot waves are observable directly (beyond just the forces they impart on the particles) then it changes the character of the theory completely.

@swamidass

I don’t think it would be “directly” observable. Almost nothing in physics now days is “directly” observable, what ever that means.

Which led us down this rabbit trail.

I suppose the lesson is that different subfields have different meanings of “direct.” In the context of an individual field, it might be clear, but it is going to be hard to precisely and unambiguously define “direct” observation versus “indirect” observation in a global sense. I’m not sure, in the end, that really has much to do with the strength of the theory.