Observer Effect

The observer effect was an effect that the weapon ran on, alongside quantum physics, vunktotechnology, the superforce and vundatechnology. (PROSE: The Eyeless)

Quantum theory and its more developed successor, biodata theory, stated that simply by being present to observe an event, any conscious being could make the meanings of that event more fundamental than matter. During the anchoring of the thread, the Great Houses guaranteed that the entire Spiral Politic could be observed by the Homeworld; due to this, members of the Great Houses had a specially close and intense relationship with history. (PROSE: The Cosmology of the Spiral Politic)

Time Lords naturally refined and reshaped space and time around them through their perception. (PROSE: Christmas on a Rational Planet, The Infinity Doctors) They maintained the non-interference policy because, if they were to interact with the universe rather than just observing it, they would collapse its infinite possibility into a single certainty. (PROSE: The Gallifrey Chronicles) A mad Time Lord could even have the power to infect the past and future with insanity. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors)

The very act of not being observed by the Homeworld's eye could cause a devastating attack of ignorance. During the War in Heaven, the Homeworld attempted using this type of attack against the enemy only to discover that the enemy had its own, equally-powerful eye. (PROSE: The Book of the War)

According to Littlejohn, the density of tardigrades throughout the universe threatened the Great Houses' observer criticality. (PROSE: The Short Briefing Sergeant's Tale)

The Yssgaroth "taint", which allowed Yssgaroth biomass to corrupt ordinary biomass by contact, (PROSE: The Book of the War) was speculated to be the effect of Yssgaroth observation on the Spiral Politic. (PROSE: The Cosmology of the Spiral Politic)

Behind the scenes

 * The Time Lords' observer effect would have played a major role in the unproduced novel Mentor.