Physical Realizability Boundaries of Observation Why Infinite Observation Is Forbidden by Thermodynamics and Gravitation
Abstract
This paper establishes a strict physical bound on observation by treating observation itself as a material process subject to experimentally verified laws of thermodynamics, relativistic causality, and gravitation. By defining an observer operationally as a localized physical system capable of registering and comparing states over time, the paper shows that attempts to extend observation without limit in duration, precision, or information capacity necessarily violate one or more non-negotiable physical constraints. Infinite observation would require unbounded energy throughput, unlimited entropy export, instantaneous internal coordination, or arbitrarily high energy density—each of which is forbidden by established physics. The result is a closed, necessity-based argument demonstrating that infinite observers are physically unrealizable, independent of technology, interpretation, or mathematical idealization.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 10 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint