Direct observation to indirect observation?

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What is the point at which we move from direct observations to indirect observations?

This is in the physical sciences.

THANKS!
 
A somewhat amatuerish reply would be when you, as the observer, cannot manipulete the object you are observing. The example I was given was a ball and a planet.

You may diectly observe the properties of the ball by twirling it in your hand, stopping at any point for another observation. With a planet, you must observe it from a fixed distance and vantage point. You do not have control of the object.

From an amatuer astronomer…
 
Jim_Baur said:
What is the point at which we move from direct observations to indirect observations?

This is in the physical sciences.

THANKS!
Click to expand...
Every object we see, one would imagine, is seen as a photon of a particular frequency emitted from an atom & hitting chemical molecules in the rods or cones in your eye, so creating an electrical current in your brain.
One might imagine that all things are values or quantities of a mysterious thing called charge. What charge is objectively, I don’t know exactly. Neither do I know if the object or event described by collections of charges has some sort of non-physical existence. That is, I don’t know if the object I am observing is the shape of an idea of an object. An artists thought creates the shape of an object and something else’s thought creates the shape of shapes. sortof…:hmmm:
Is there direct observation, and just what is it we are really observing.
 
“What is the point at which we move from direct observations to indirect observations?”

I may be responding too simplistically here or probably not understanding the science, but when we look at ourselves in a mirror isn’t that indirect observation?
 
If we include the use of scientific instruments it is the point at which we move from direct observations to indirect observations is at their maximum level of magnification.
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!

Jim Baur, the OP
 
You said:
Every object we see, one would imagine, is seen as a photon of a particular frequency emitted from an atom & hitting chemical molecules in the rods or cones in your eye, so creating an electrical current in your brain.
One might imagine that all things are values or quantities of a mysterious thing called charge. What charge is objectively, I don’t know exactly. Neither do I know if the object or event described by collections of charges has some sort of non-physical existence. That is, I don’t know if the object I am observing is the shape of an idea of an object. An artists thought creates the shape of an object and something else’s thought creates the shape of shapes. sortof…:hmmm:
Is there direct observation, and just what is it we are really observing.
Click to expand...
Our mind interprets the perceptions of shapes and colours as three dimensional objects as a result of our experience of living in the world but we cannot observe things directly. What we receive are the stimuli from our senses transmitted to our brain. We infer the other attributes by using our intelligence and constructing an image which varies from one person to another. No one sees exactly the same thing as some one else! External reality is forever beyond our mental grasp even though we can deduce and induce a lot about it. All we are acquainted with is a set of phenomena and not the things themselves … 🙂
 
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