“You lost me again.” Bernard was losing patience with Wallace’s presumably simple explanations of quantum mechanics. “So you’re saying that nothing exists unless an observer is there to see it?”

“Not quite. But observation, or rather the lack of it, is the key to its functionality.”

“Are you saying that this thing won’t work with an observer present?”

“No, just that quantum probability waves are not resolved into a deterministic state unless an observer is present. The Quantum Probability Wave Attenuator increases the probability of a desired quantum event occurring by reducing the likelihood -- at least as the universe perceives it -- of alternate, competing events being observed.” Wallace uncapped a permanent marker and drew a circle on what Bernard thought was a television screen. “When the tritium in this tube emits a particle, it could go in any random direction and make a spot light up anywhere on this phosphor screen. But when you activate the Quantum Probability Wave Attenuator, it increases the likelihood that the tritium will emit particles in only one direction and light up the phosphor only in the spot that I’ve circled.”

“Increases the likelihood?”

“To over ninety nine percent!”

“By stopping the observation of everything else?”

Wallace shook his head. “No. Well, yeah, something like that.”

“So how does it work.”

“Just hold this button down to attenuate the competing quantum probability waves.”

Bernard pushed and held the button. Wallace grinned with delight as a small spot of phosphor glowed brightly in the center of the circle he had drawn. Wallace waited for Bernard’s reaction, but Bernard said nothing. Wallace looked up at Bernard and immediately understood the problem. With some trepidation, Wallace said, “Um, sir? You don’t actually have to close your eyes while you hold the button down for the phenomenon to work.”