How Do We Observe Relational Observables?
Journal for General Philosophy of Science June 1, 2026 Emily Adlam
In theories with diffeomorphism symmetry, like general relativity and canonical quantum gravity, empirical content is often thought to reside in relational observables. This paper argues that explaining how such observables connect to experience requires a schematization of the observer suited to a diffeomorphism-invariant context. The author suggests moving from a 'passive awareness' conception of consciousness to a more agential one, because an embodied agent must experience herself as localized at a time. The paper then considers implications for using quantum reference frames to address the problem of time, arguing that standard quantum reference frames lack resources to model agency, so another kind of internal reference frame may be needed to fully explain observation of relational observables in the quantum context.