Are events absolute?

Centre Borelli (ENS Paris Saclay, France) & IHPST (CNRS, Université Paris 1)

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 29 April 2026

Abstract

The “Wigner’s Friend” thought experiment stands as one of the most intellectually provocative and challenging conceptual puzzles in quantum mechanics. It compels us to confront profound questions concerning the fundamental nature of reality, the very act of observation, and the possible role that consciousness might play within the quantum measurement process. This article gives a general presentation, beginning with Eugene Wigner’s seminal proposal of the original thought experiment. In this paper, we explore its initial implications, which shook the foundations of classical physics, and then progress to an examination of the recent theoretical advancements and the ingenious extended versions of the experiment. The recent versions seem to imply that it is no more possible to consider events as absolute.